After 17 months River Street has finally reopened to traffic on September 25th 2023 (Adam Riley / Acadia Broadcasting)
Motorists have been able to drive over it for more than a month but the City of Thunder Bay is still feeling the pain of the repairs to the River Street culvert.
A report published this week from city staff, set to be presented to council on Monday, shows the total project cost was over $3.1 million, $326,000 over the “upset limit” approved last year.
However, with the HST rebate the project will have just over $2.8 million come out of city coffers.
The increase in cost is attributed to a number of issues and additions which were discovered and prompted the extension of the duration, including:
- Additional watermain and sanitary sewer renewal work requested by the Environment Division
- Cold weather work
- Additional fill materials over and above the estimated quantities
- Minor street lighting work
- Installation and maintenance of additional sanitary by pass pumps resulting from sewer surcharging
- Exposing utilities, and removing encasements
- Trench boxing due to utilities encroaching on excavations
- Changes to leveling slabs and thickness due to undulating bedrock profiles
Additionally, the report recommends an increase to the upset limit and to cover the gap with funds previously set for use on the McKellar Bridge which was budgeted for this year but has been delayed until next year at the earliest.
The work was required following the formation of a sinkhole in May of 2022, which caused the shutdown of the roadway for a total of 508 days.
File Photo
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