The first day of municipal budget meetings saw city council vote for more than $4.4 million in spending to re-pave Prince Albert roads, while also voting against funding the Central Avenue Streetscape project on administration’s recommendation.
The multi-million dollar plan to overall the roads and pipes in Prince Albert’s downtown has been in the works for several years. On Wednesday, several councillors had questions for Public Works Director Jeff Da Silva about administration’s decision to not start the project this year. Da Silva told council the project simply isn’t ready.
“The Streetscape paving and concrete components obviously can’t happen until the undergrounds are done, and we’re not shovel ready on any of the undergrounds on Central Avenue,” Da Silva said during the meeting.
“Effectively it’s scheduling. We’re not ready to pave and do any of that work on Central Avenue in 2025, hence the focus on Marquis Road.”
The plan to overhaul the downtown area pre-dates the current council. The City has held multiple consultations, including a survey that saw residents vote in support of reducing Central Avenue to one lane of traffic.
City of Prince Albert Planning Director Craig Guidinger told council they are currently reviewing how the plan will impact downtown businesses. He said administration will deliver a report to council sometime in March discussing how best to proceed with the project.
Guidinger said there’s no doubt the project needs to be started, but there needs to be more preparation and consultation with impacted businesses.
“The redevelopment has to happen, regardless of the businesses … coming in or leaving that (area). Revitalization has to happen, because those (underground) pipes are over 100 years old,” he told council.
Guidinger added that the goal would be to start the project within the next two years. He also said the work wouldn’t be completed in just one summer.
“It’s not a simple project to just get in there over the course of the year and get it done,” he explained. “It’s going to be phased over two or three years. There’s a significant communication component with the City and, specifically, the PADBID and those businesses.”
Guidinger added that the estimated $2.5 million cost to repave downtown is “an older number that’s been carried over from year to year.” He said they need a detailed design to provide a better breakdown.
The $2.5 million does not include the cost to replace underground pipes in the downtown.
Instead, the City’s $4.4 million paving package includes major changes to Marquis Road. In addition to paving, the long-awaited Marquis Road widening project was given approval.
Marquis Road currently sees roughly 12,600 vehicles per day, and Da Silva said it’s only going to get busier as The Yard entertainment district continues to grow.
Da Silva also said surface portions of Marquis Road are “significantly degraded.” He said it makes more sense for the City to widen Marquis Road now, instead of re-paving the road, then having to redo it in a few years just to widen the road.
“The traffic volumes through that stretch of road have significantly increased over recent years,” he said. “If we’re planning to do the resurfacing work, it makes a lot of sense to do the widening work at the same time.”
Council meetings are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Friday instead of the original plan of 8 a.m. Budget deliberations are expected to be completed before the end of the day.