Road work begins on Thomas Drive

Times Reporter 

 

Road repair work for Thomas Drive will soon be underway after council approved a budget that will see the road repaired from Park Lane Drive to Brent Blvd. 

Town administration called a special council meeting on May 22 to discuss the project, and to see a motion made. The project had been divided into two packages, A and B. Package A consists of all work recommended from Park Lane Drive to Brentwood Drive. Package B is for all of the work north of Brentwood Drive to Brent Blvd. 

The project had been divided because the scope of work outlined in the capital project budget was based on all work leading to Brentwood Drive, and if the tenders were to come in under budget, or if council chose to repave the entirety of Thomas Drive, the numbers would be there in package B to show the additional cost.

Jesse Parker, director of operations and engineering for the town said that a previous road assessment program had identified that the section south from Brentwood Drive to Centennial Drive would be a structural overlay, and then south of Centennial Drive to Park Lane Drive has underground replacements that need to be done. The section north of Brentwood Drive was identified at that time as not being in need of immediate repair, but does have some work that would need to be done in the future.  

The original budget was for $3 million, which would see package A completed; however, to complete work on both package A and B the cost would raise to $3,573,676.70. 

“Based on the approved budget package A can be completed within budget for what’s been tendered. As a result the recommendation this evening is with that ($3 million) being an approved budget that we do package A,” said Parker. 

“I indicated to council that we do have pricing that is fairly reasonable for continuing the project into package B and continuing the project for all of Thomas Drive north of Brentwood Drive should council desire to continue with the project beyond Brentwood Drive.”

“I have waited approximately seven years to have this finally come before us again to get it finished. I think we would be very remiss if we did not do packages A and B together on this. To do part of it is just doing an injustice to our ratepayers,” said Councillor Earl Best. 

A motion was made to award the contract to North Star Contracting to complete both package A and B, for a total not to exceed $3,573,676.70. Work will begin on Thomas Drive this week and is to be completed by July 31.