The 2020 Capital Works Program is officially underway in the City of Cranbrook, as crews begin the road construction season with a handful of major projects.
A full reconstruction of 8th Avenue South is underway, from 3rd Street South and 4th Street South. The total project is estimated at $630,000, including water main and storm sewer upgrades. Mackay Contracting is undertaking the project and is expected to be complete by early August.
Tybo Contracting will be tackling 8th Street South, stretching from 3rd Avenue South to 5th Avenue South. The project is estimated at $670,000 and will include the replacement of water services as well as new sidewalks and pavement.
The 2020 Capital Works Program, as in previous years, is mostly funded from Cranbrook’s 1% dedicated road tax. Although the program also gets support from the annual gas tax, with $816,900 in funding made available for projects in 2020.
“The dedicated road tax we collect is earmarked to fix our failing infrastructure,” said Lee Pratt, Mayor of Cranbrook. “This year with the devastating effects of COVID-19, it is more important than ever that we continue with these projects. The dollars spent will create employment and support our local economy.”
Those directly affected by the construction have been notified by the City of Cranbrook of the scheduled work and any potential service disruptions or limited access to their property.
The City of Cranbrook said that all contractors for the 2020 Capital Works Program are required to provide a safety plan that includes best practices to address COVID-19 at project sites during construction.
“We are excited to get these projects underway that should really improve services to the local residents,” said Mike Matejka, Manager of Infrastructure Planning and Delivery with the City of Cranbrook. “We know that disruptions may be felt more with so many people staying home, so the City and its contractors will be making extra efforts to minimize impacts and keep lines of communication open.”
It’s expected that the 2020 Repaving Program will also go to tender this week. Roads on the slate for repaving in 2020 include Birch Drive and 3rd Street South from 27th to 31st Avenue. Work is anticipated to begin at the end of May and wrap up by early September.
Matejka said a lot of projects are still pending approval from the B.C. Government, but anticipates approximately $4-million to $5-million of road work will be complete in Cranbrook in 2020.
