The District of Kitimat is poised to spend nearly $1.2 million on new walkways and improving an existing section.
On the books for the upcoming construction season is a two-part Quatsino-Lahakas project consisting of approximately 715 metres and updating the existing walkway between Albatross Ave. and Bittern St.
The latter reconstruction project is budgeted in the $460,000 range and DoK engineering services director Alex Ramos-Espinoza says the final length could be between 800 and 900 metres.
“We’re hoping there’ll be competitive bids,” he said of the prospect of contractors vying for the work by proposing more length.
This project is part of the district’s current five-year plan to replace existing walkways when they’ve come to the end of their useful life.
“The intent is to improve all of the walkways within our community,” said Ramos-Espinoza.
Improvements on this walkway include widening to the modern-day standard of 2.45 metres and adding more lights for better illumination at night.
Where possible, the grade of the walkway will be adjusted so as to make it more accessible for wheelchair use and for people who have mobility issues.
“But there will be some areas where we just can’t - we’d have to excavate down,” Ramos-Espinoza noted.
Gentle grades for more accessibility won’t be a problem with the two-part Quatsino-Lahakas project because it is new construction, with the first phase set as an extension to Quatsino Boulevard for connection to Kildala and Strawberry Meadows residential areas.
That’s to be approximately 340 metres long of new concrete at the modern day width standard of 2.45 metres and the cost has been tagged at $450,000.
A second phase is described as a 375-metre extension to Quatsino for a Kildala and Strawberry Meadows connection at a cost of $275,000.
As with the district’s other walkways, these new sections will be illuminated and district staff are examining the potential to install LED lights which would cost more than regular lights but have a lower operating cost.
“That’s a decision for council,” said Ramos-Espinoza of LED lights in noting their purchase cost has come down substantially in recent years.
The 2.45 metre width of the walkway means there’s room for cyclists but they should respect pedestrians and general rules of the road, he added.
Current thinking is to tender the Albatross-Bittern reconstruction and the two-part Quatsino-Lahakas construction as one contract opportunity.
A third phase Quatsino-Lahakas walkway project valued at $510,000 is to be considered by council in its 2019 capital expenditure list.