Balmoral Street upgrades ready for another round of public comment

The public has another month to comment on the city's plans for Balmoral Street.

A $4.2 million first phase would see the street completely redone this year form the Neebing-McIntyre Floodway to Alloy Drive. Ditches would be replaced with storm sewers, making way for multi-use trails on each side of the street and boulevards with better bus stops.

The Harbour Expressway intersection will have better pedestrians crossings along with double left turn lanes and drivers would no longer be able to turn left or drive across Balmoral from Alloy Drive, Hewitson Street or Sibley Drive.

City project engineer Mike Vogrig said after a first round of consultation, the city has compiled comments from the public and nearby businesses and updated the project.

It's now ready for another round of public comment before the city submits its environmental assessment to the province.

If approved, work would move ahead this year.

The money is in the proposed budget but the city is hoping $2 million of the first phase will be covered by the province after it submitted a funding application last year. Vogrig said while there would be a lot of work on the road this year, traffic would still be able to move along it.

"We will be keeping it open to two lanes for the summer for sure," he said.