Bridge over Sumanik Drive will be removed
Whitehorse city council voted Sept. 23 to have the bridge over Sumanik Drive removed while also looking at temporary and permanent solutions for the crossing.
The city had planned to spend $198,0000 between 2019 and 2022 on bridge repairs with $128,000 coming from federal gas tax funding and another $70,000 coming out of an insurance claim.
The bridge was closed in July after a waste hauling truck hit it. That was the latest in a number of collisions larger vehicles have had with the crossing in recent years.
Inspections followed with a recommendation the crossing be entirely removed before winter due to the additional snow load the season would bring.
The bridge removal will not be eligible for gas tax funding, thus the city will use its reserves to cover the costs for the bridge.
It’s anticipated the removal will cost $50,000. Further work will include the design of a temporary solution and a possible conceptual design for a permanent crossing.
In the meantime, trails in the area are being accessed via alternate routes.
Council awards Cook Street contract
Whitehorse city council voted Sept. 23 to award Associated Engineering a contract worth more than $181,000 for the design of Cook Street.
The project will see the rebuilding of the downtown street from Fourth Avenue to the clay cliffs.
Water and sewer mains will be replaced (the new water main will be larger in order to increase service capacity); a recirculation system to prevent pipes from freezing will be added; and a new road surface and sidewalks will be installed.
The project will be done in two parts with the first being the design and the second being construction.
Associated Engineering Ltd. was one of two companies to submit proposals on the design with the other coming from Stantec Architecture Ltd.
Associated’s proposal came out on top in the evaluation and was recommended for the contract award.
The construction portion of the project is anticipated to cost more than $444,000 with that contract anticipated to be awarded in 2020, subject to funding.
Changes approved to Canada Game Centre fees
The city’s fees and charges bylaw has changed with third reading being passed by Whitehorse city council Sept. 23.
The bylaw is typically altered with new fees or changes in fees each fall.
This year the alterations may be most noticeable by users of the Canada Games Centre, as the city gets ready to launch new recreation software on Oct. 2.
Among the changes are the replacement of a continuous or annual pass with either a six-month or one-year membership that will have to be renewed at the end of the term; one-month passes will instead become 30 day passes based on days rather than months; and 10 day punch cards will become a 10 day flex pass that will now expire after two years.
There’s also an increase to the cost of bringing material containing asbestos to the landfill, rising from $105 per tonne to $160 per tonne to better reflect the cost of dealing with the hazardous material.
Officials had been considering changes to the cost of OCP and zoning amendment applications, but council members ultimately voted against those.
