The $2.68-million Main Avenue West Upgrade project got underway last week with attention being paid to ensure as little disruption to area businesses as possible.
“As much as my staff and myself have been priming the businesses for the upcoming project, the contractor as well has gone and visited them. And suffice to say they are eager to work with those businesses and keep them going with as little disruption as possible during this very, very difficult project,” said the town’s public works manager, Jim Hall, in providing a project update during the Sept. 10 council meeting.
The project involves replacing and upgrading underground infrastructure on the avenue from 7th Street SW to 10th Street SW along with paving it.
Asphalt for the regional walking path will be layed and a new underground water loop will be installed connecting a line to 6th Street SW from 1st Street NW.
Council awarded the $2,681,188.38 contract to UG Excavating Ltd. late last month.
Hall said he met with the project crew on Sept. 10, adding the company has an environmental and traffic accommodation strategy.
Some lane closures were expected as digging began on 7th Street SW last Tuesday but Hall said “I don’t see any major disruptions for businesses.”
The casing work on the water loop at 6th Street NW was expected to begin last Wednesday.
While $420,513 from reserves and $650,000 in MSI provincial grant funding will be used to help pay for the project, the town plans to borrow the rest.
As required by legislation, the Town of Sundre began advertising its borrowing bylaw for the project this week.
Council gave first reading to the bylaw on Sept. 10 which authorizes the town to borrow $1,483,000 from the Alberta Capital Finance Authority.
Town officials are proposing to use property taxes to pay for the 20-year debenture.
Chris Albert, the town’s director of corporate services, told council that at the current borrowing rate of 3.189 per cent, $100,863.34 would have to come from property taxes annually.
“However a previous communication did indicate approximately 90 per cent will be offset by borrowings that are maturing in the next one to two years,” said Albert.
Allowing for all the timelines prescribed by legislation, Albert said second and third readings of the bylaw need to occur by mid-October in order to hit the Nov. 15 borrowing application deadline.
“So it is a very tight timeline. Everything has to occur exactly as is, in order for us to get the funds by mid-December,” Albert said.
Weather permitting, town officials have said the project could be completed before the end of October.
