County of Grande Prairie Council has given the green light to over $3 million in road and bridge construction projects.
$1.08 million of that will be used to replace the bridge on Township Road 734 between Range Road 14 and Range Road 13.
“This one has come to the point where it needs to be replaced. Its life expectancy is done, we do the replacement that really triggers from that inspection,” says Director of Public Works Dale Van Volkinburgh. “It isn’t structurally in jeopardy, but it will be if we don’t do some work to it.”
He adds despite the fact they accepted the lowest bid for the tender, it still came in over budget. However, the County has a contingency in place for projects of this size and scope.
“The county has built a reserve for our bridges, and through those reserves, we have highs and lows and that’s what the reserve is supposed to pad through. Some projects we end up being in a deficit, some are in the surplus, overall the balancing happens through that.”
Council has also approved $2 million in road grading work, which will see large chunks of Township Road 724 and 730 between Range Road 65 and 63 dug up and repaved.
No timeline on either project has been announced.
