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$1.1 million allocated for road work this year in Kitimat

Kitimat council has added $470,000 for more work by deferring four other projects.
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Map of the road work that will be completed this summer. The streets highlighted in red are what the district planned on completing before additional funding, and the streets highlighted in orange is the road works that will be done with the additional funding. (District of Kitimat photo)

With $630,000 already allocated for road repairs this year, the Kitimat council has added $470,000 for more work by deferring four other projects.

Council members generally agreed, during discussion at their, May 27 council meeting, that the roads are in the worst shape they’ve ever been in, something that prompted the decision to push the repair budget for new asphalt and filling potholes this year to more than $1 million.

“I think we do need a little more than what was stated. […] And I would very much support this move, hoping it to have a significant impact on our community and our roads,” Councillor Terry Marleau said.

The additional money was found by deferring spending $120,000 for an electronic sign across Haisla Boulevard from A&W and Tim Hortons below the Haisla Centre, taking $200,000 from the $300,000 budget spent on helping people demolish vacant and derelict properties, cancelling the plan to spend $100,000 on a new roof for the Kitimat Chamber of Commerce building and cancelling the plan to spend $50,000 on a new roof for the humane society building.

New roofs for the chamber of commerce and humane society buildings were part of the budget plan this year because both are at the age they require replacing.

The District’s original road repair list was: The roads from Haisla Blvd. to Wakashan Ave. on S Lahakas Blvd.; both entrances to the lower parking lot of the city centre off S Lahakas Blvd.; the Save-On-Foods parking lot; the road from Hillcrest Apartments to Kitamaat Village Rd. on Haisla Blvd.; the road from Haisla Blvd. to Nechako Centre on Kingfisher Ave.; the entrance to the Nechako Centre; the four-way intersection at Kingfisher Ave. and Nalabila Blvd.; the four-way intersection at Nalabila Blvd. and N Lahakas Blvd.; and a section of road on Kuldo Blvd.

With the additional money, crews will repair:

The road from Kingfisher Ave. to Ptarmigan St. on Haisla Blvd; the intersection at Kingfisher Ave. and Hawk St., and additional road work with intersection improvements at the corner of Tsmishian Blvd. and Wakashan Ave.

READ MORE: Here are Kitimat’s 10 worst streets and intersections for collisions



jacob.lubberts@northernsentinel.com