Thursday, July 29, 2010

City Looks at 9th Street Repairs

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Owen Sound
by Jonathon Jackson    

Owen Sound is taking another look at further work along 9th Street East.

City council has twice voted down a suggestion to expand the ongoing work, which includes the replacement of the 9th Street bridge across the Sydenham River.

It was originally planned that the entire street would be reconstructed between 2nd Avenue West and 2nd Avenue East -- but the project was shortened due to costs.

The section of road between 1st and 2nd Avenue East is not being done.

But Council has decided to reconsider that decision.

Councillor Bill Twaddle pointed out that the work -- if the contractor will still agree to do it -- would cost the city less than 200 thousand dollars.

Twaddle says the job will have to be done within a very short time anyway due to the deteriorating infrastructure under the road.

And he says it will likely cost substantially more if it's not done now.

Twaddle says he would have a hard time justifying tearing up 9th Street East and disrupting local businesses and traffic patterns again.

He also points out the money can now be found for the project.

The city had earmarked nearly half a million dollars as its share of an MTO-funded reconstruction of 10th Street East, between 6th and 9th Avenues.

But the MTO funding for that job was not approved, so it's not going ahead this year after all.

Council has directed the operations department to determine if the contractor on the 9th Street job can still do the job, and exactly how it could be paid for.