THUNDER BAY -- Work on Cumberland Street would still be completed on schedule should the project not not start this year the city says.
City council decided in May to see the project start this year after administration recommended it be pushed ahead to 2016 to make up for a funding shortfall on Golf Links Rd.
Bids came back well over-budget, as have most contracts this construction season city engineering director Kayla Dixon said. In this case, the CUmberland Street project needs an additional $ 1million.
It's estimated the project, which will be done in two phases from Stephens all the way to the Current River bridge rather than three if council agrees Monday night, will cost around $2.7 million.
That, along with staffing issues and the reality that the work, between Stephens Street to MacDougall Street, would have been stalled once winter hit, led to administration recommending again that the project be put on hold until next year.
"Similar to some of the (road) issues we saw with Arthur Street over the winter," she said.
In the report, which was allowed to be viewed by media but not made otherwise available as software issues have delayed the release of the July 20 agenda, it's recommended that the city focus this year instead on it's multi-year project to rebuild the Chamberlain Street pumping station.
Dixon said that work needs to be done during the winter when demand for water is lower.
Coun. Andrew Foulds said it's unfortunate that work won't go ahead but Cumberland Street was always a multi-phase project and it will still get done on time.
He wants administration to look into whether some other roadwork can be done this construction season instead.
