Council looking into subway repairs

Town council will continue to look at the cost of increasing the width and depth of the Portage Avenue subway to allow trucks to pass through it.
The subway–which passes beneath the CN rail lines located between Third Street East and Fifth Street East–has begun to deteriorate and council agreed at last night’s regular meeting that it needs to be replaced.
But a point of contention was that it need be improved enough to allow large trucks to pass along the primarily residential avenue.
“That was part of the discussion with Operations and Facilities, and my thought was why would we want a truck route down Portage Avenue anyway,” noted Coun. Deane Cunningham.
“I think that would be a mistake.”
But assuaging any concerns the road was going to be open for trucks, CAO Bill Naturkach noted all projects on Portage Avenue have been carried out according to a policy set for an unforeseen potential.
“It’s not in the cards but who knows 10, 20, 30 years from now,” he remarked.
Mayor Glenn Witherspoon also noted the policy was set, in part, when the town was bidding for the oriented strandboard (OSB) plant and when Abitibi-Consolidated had considered moving its woodyard to the north end several years back.
“Every time we spend money on Portage Avenue, including this project, we consider the possibility,” confirmed Naturkach.
Council unanimously agreed the subway should be rebuilt wider for safety reasons and to alleviate other problems, including flooding and difficulty with snow removal.
“The bottom line here is, I think, as a frequent user, I’ve canoed in it,” said Coun. Sharon Tibbs. “Drive under it and meet a car at the very bottom, there’s absolutely no air underneath.
“It’s deteriorating and needs to be widened,” she argued.
“It needs to be fixed,” agreed Mayor Witherspoon. “My friend said after a curling match, ‘If you can negotiate the subway, you can get home.’”