The city will work with the Wei Wai Kum First Nation to build a new sidewalk along 16th Avenue.
The $200,000 project is part of a servicing agreement between the two parties that was signed last July to improve 16th Avenue by way of new street lights and sidewalks.
At last week’s meeting, council endorsed putting in a sidewalk along the portion of 16th Avenue between Wal-Mart and Ironwood Street as part of its 2014 capital plan.
Drew Hadfield, the city’s transportation manager, said sidewalks closer to Dogwood will be dependent on whether the city chooses to proceed with an overhaul of that section of 16th – a project which has been discussed at city hall for years.
“While the section from Wal-Mart to Ironwood could be completed easily due to the existing curb and gutter; the section from Ironwood to Dogwood is dependent on the roadway upgrades which are not scheduled until at least 2016, pending council’s approval,” Hadfield said. “The missing piece along 16th from Ironwood to Dogwood would be completed at a later date. The reason for this delay is related to the probability that (new) sidewalks would need to be removed in the future to install new water lines and drainage concerns related to the existing versus designed grades for the upgraded roadway.”
Council learned last month that it will cost roughly $8 million to upgrade the Ironwood to Dogwood stretch of 16th Avenue – a project that has been debated since at least 2002.
The design for the 16th Avenue project is 75 per cent complete and involves undergrounding water, sanitary, storm, hydro and telephone utilities as well as surface and lighting improvements and new traffic signals at Dogwood and 16th.
Hadfield said because that project is still pending and likely years away, instead of putting in a new sidewalk now along that portion of 16th, the city and Wei Wai Kum have settled on building a sidewalk along Highway 19A between Wal-Mart and Dogwood Street.
“This shift would allow for this area to be made available for pedestrian use and the opportunity for future improvements to the berm and landscaping between the highway and the residential area,” Hadfield said.
The $200,000 total project cost for the sidewalks will be split 50/50 between the city and the Wei Wai Kum.
The city’s portion will come from funds collected as part of the Wal-Mart and Home Depot projects – $78,250 from future roadworks deposits and $21,750 from transportation development cost charges.
The Wei Wai Kum’s portion is expected to come from equivalent development cost charges for the same two projects.
The sidewalks are expected to be built this year.