Tenders awarded to repair underpass

The underpass reconstruction work slated to start this spring took another step forward as council awarded the tenders for the project at Monday night’s regular meeting.
JTJ Contracting Ltd. Inc. of Emo was awarded Tender 06-OF-14 in the amount of $1,705,972.77 while Hatch Energy will be handling contractor administration and construction inspection services at an estimated cost of $207,087.
As previously reported, council is intent on seeing the underpass project completed this year, but how it will be funded is yet to be determined.
In mid-January, the town applied for 100 percent funding of the $2.1-million project under the provincial Rural Infrastructure Investment Initiative (while the recently-awarded tenders amount to $1.9 million, the $2.1 million includes money the town previously spent on engineering work).
The town does have money in place that will be used for the underpass project if it does not get the $2.1 million it’s asking for.
This money includes $883,000 in “Ontario Move” funding and $540,000 in federal gas tax revenues.
But if the town does get the full 100 percent, this other money can be used for other purposes.
In the case the town gets no funding or not enough, the town probably would have to utilize existing reserves (or borrowing for long-term debt) to fund the rest of the project.
The work on the underpass is expected to commence the first week of May and be completed around mid-November.
Once underway, the work will be done in two phases—the west side first, then the east side.
It will consist of replacing 180 metres of concrete from Third Street East to Fifth Street East and putting in new retaining walls, as well as a new sidewalk and handrail on the west side of the street.
The work also will include modifications to the railway abutment structures (installation of soil anchors), putting up new chain link fences, and upgrading to the storm sewer system (pump house and piping).
The existing roadway also will be reinforced and modified, with a view towards having an alternate truck route to the north end sometime down the road.
One lane of traffic will be open at all times during the underpass work, and at no time should residents be forced to take alternate north-south routes (such as McIrvine Road or the emergency railroad crossing at Victoria Avenue).