WEYBURN – Weyburn city council approved a bid for an engineering firm to do the design for road reconstruction on First Avenue, and now await the provincial budget to see if there will be grant money for the paving.
The City has applied to the province through the Urban Highway Connection Program for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of First Avenue, from Government Road to 13th Street.
The request for funding is due to First Avenue being Highway 13, and serves as part of the City’s truck route and a major east-west thoroughfare through the city, with many rough spots with significant cracking and potholes.
A geotechnical investigation of the road was conducted in 2023 by KGS Group, to develop a geotechnical and surface design to rebuild the road to a proper standard.
The initial bid was awarded to Allnorth Consultants out of a group of seven proposals received by the city. City engineer Jennifer Wilkinson noted the project was altered and reduced, to take out the traffic lights and intersection at Government Road and First Avenue, as this will now be done as a separate project.
The reduced project will now cost the city $39,990, and was accepted by Allnorth Consultants, who will do the road design work.
Asked when the City might find out if they will get the provincial grant to do the road work, she said they will have to wait for the provincial budget, coming down on March 20. If the money is not in the budget, the road design work will not be wasted, as it can be used for whenever the funds are available to the city.
Wilkinson added that the work around the intersection is fairly specialized, so it warranted being taken out to be a project on its own.
• SE Newcomers requested that a flag-raising be held on Thursday, March 21, to commemorate Anti-Racism Day, and this was approved by council.
City manager Mathew Warren said this fits under the city’s flag policy, as Anti-Racism Day is recognized by the federal government.
Coun. Ryan Janke noted this will be the first special flag-raising ceremony since the installation of the new flagpoles was done at the cenotaph in Memorial Park.
