Town of Bonnyville Council approves funding in special meeting

The Town of Bonnyville Council awarded Phase C of the 66th St. Trail to E-Construction for the amount of $749,324 during their Oct. 5 Special Meeting.

The 2021 Capital Budget included Phase A and B to extend the trail to the dog park, with the remaining portion that would go to Gurneyville Road in 2022.

“Rather than tendering next year we can finish this, and the pricing came in lower than what we would have tendered it for last year,” Mayor Gene Sobolewski told Lakeland Connect. “So what we’re doing is reaching into our coffers and spending an additional $173,000 to get the trail finished. So they’re going to move that berm, so that the water won’t be able flood it, and they’ll also be putting the trail about a foot above the high watermark on the lake so hopefully that will do its thing.”

The original budget for the first two phases of the project were budgeted for $1.08-million and was awarded for $480,200, which was 64 per cent under budget. The favourable construction conditions through the West wetland, combined with unusually dry conditions this year, are a few reasons for the preferred pricing.

Costs for Phase C came in at $749,324 and that brought the whole project budget to $1,229,524. With a $30,000 contingency in place, the project total comes to $1,259,524. That is $172,442 over the budgeted amount for the work that would happen in 2021. Phase C was originally budgeted to be completed in 2022 for $600,000. Due to cost savings, that amount can now be used for other capital projects.

“It becomes a balance of conveniences utilizing the contractor, while we’ve got them now, and finishing the project this year,” Mayor Sobolewski said which is a cost saving decision for taxpayers. “So you’d have your escalation costs, and fuel and your gravel costs and asphalt costs and things like that. And the risk is that instead of spending an additional $173,000 you would spend $180,000, $200,000 or $250,000. So, we have the contractor, and this decision allows them to to undertake the work.”

Arthur@lakelandconnect.thedev.ca