Council gives green light to a number of road projects

City roads will see heavy repairs again this summer as council sets out the schedule and requests more inter-government funding.

Monday night's council meeting saw a long list of repairs that were planned and hoped for.

In knowing how North Bay loves to talk about it's roads and driving conditions, the repairs and re-routes will no doubt be a topic of conversation.

In reaction to the lack of funding from the Provincial and Federal Governments for the Cedar Heights Standpipe, the City has shifted their focus towards another project.

The suggested Capital project to move forward with in 2012 is the Sanitary Sewer Extension to Pinewood Park.

The area along Lakeshore Drive and Pinewood Park Drive has seen much growth in recent years as it seems that North Bay and Callander are slowly expanding towards each other.

The sanitary sewers will be extended from the new Sports Complex all the way down to the Clarion Resort at a cost of $4.75 million.

To initiate this project, over $1.6 million needs to be transferred from the Cedar Heights project to the Pinewood Park project.

City staff says that funding was denied for both projects but plan to resubmit their requests.

The Engineering, Environmental Services and Works Department hopes to begin the work as soon as funding is confirmed to bring the service into the area, expanding both residential and industrial opportunities for residents and the municipality.

"You can't put any big buildings or new structures in with the new environmental regulations without having sanitary sewers go to the sewage plant," says Managing Director Alan Korell.

Korell says that the commercial buildings and business in that area have been made aware that if they want to have sanitary sewers put in, they have to pay for half the cost which will total more than $2 million.
"They're willing to do it," he says.

As well, the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Ferguson Street from McIntyre to Chippewa has been confirmed with funds totalling $3.2 million.

One of the city's main streets with fire and police services nearby will have a full reconstruction of underground services, upgrading of the street scape to include full curb and gutter with storm sewers, sidewalks and landscape treatment on the boulevards.

The project will enhance the area for vehicles, pedestrians and deal with concerns about storm water backups which have resulted in numerous floodings to the area for many years.
 
"I'm confident that once this is done, the problems will all be over," says Korell.
 
In addition, last year's east end Main Street upgrades will continue this year with Sherbrooke to the Overpass coming under the shovel.

Phase two of the Main Street Project will see above-ground and under-ground improvements made to the area and once completed, will total $1.9 million.

This could be a major inconvenience with few other routes through the city to the West Ferris area.