Escarpment gets a face lift, courtesy of City Council

North Bay City Council initiated the funding for two road resurfacing projects, both with steep issues surrounding the hill on the escarpment in North Bay.

The first, at the top of the slope at the university and college will see a pedestrian crosswalk at the entrance to the Nipissing and Canadore campus.

"Some of the kids are obviously nervous coming out of the monastery road," says Councillor Chris Mayne.

The crosswalk, requested by students for some time now, will present a unique design and challenges for local drivers being near a peaking crest of the hill.

Engineering, no doubt, will have to take account of North Bay's slippery roads and stopping distances so that vehicles don't slide downhill towards pedestrians.

The other issue being stopping on the hill that could cause vehicles to slide backwards into the path of vehicles approaching from the rear.

The hill and it's slope, a feat in itself, is no stranger to traffic concerns as many mishaps involving the steep ascent and decline have occurred, especially in freezing rain conditions.

Even public transport vehicles from time to time, become incapacitated or swept to the side of the road with ice storms and in climate weather it will be an interesting endeavour to see the new design near the summit of what can be turned into a near bobsled run for automobiles.

As well, $750,000 will be spent immediately resurfacing and upgrading the other major artery climbing the escarpment from O'Brien to Carmichael Drive, where new subdivisions have brought a higher density of vehicle traffic in the area along Airport Hill that has recently as last year, saw an intersection added.

This project will extend the life of the road, and reduce annual maintenance costs while providing a continued level of service.

With "hill work" being done over the past year and a half, Deputy Mayor Peter Chirico says that this is great new for all the residents who live in the area and for people travelling to and from the airport.

"It will make for a much smoother ride," Chirico says.