Kitimat’s engineering department is continually adjusting a five-year plan when it comes to walkway improvements and removals.
Wayne Sussbauer, the technical services manager, told the Sentinel that the town works on a five-year assessment plan for walkways. That plan is updated each year depending on the conditions of the town’s walkways.
Each walkway, he explained, is given a numbered rating based on a number of criteria. The higher the number, the worst the assessment of a particular walkway.
A plan is built around those numbers whether a walkway is fixed or removed.
That said, in order to maximize efficiency, a cluster of walkways in a particular area of town are usually worked on at the same time, rather than working on individual ones all over the community.
Whether a walkway is considered ‘major’ or ‘minor’ is also a consideration on how the town addresses a walkway.
This year’s walkway program saw the total reconstruction on the walkways that run off from Nalabila Boulevard behind Doris’ Delicatessen, to the paths behind Wohler, which were done last year.
The walkways behind Moore Street and Nalabila to Lahakas Boulevard were also fixed.
There are no plans for walkway removal this year but the Gander/Gannett walkway is the only one slated for removal in 2013.