Reid Street project Remaining on Time and on Budget says Simpson

Air quality did not affect contractors working on the revitalization of Reid Street in Quesnel.

Mayor Bob Simpson says that the project currently remains on budget and also on track be completed by late next month.

“That’s what we’re still aiming for,” he says.

“In fact, there’s a Red Cross funded celebration event September 29th that the organizers are hoping to use Reid Street for so we would hope to have the venue available for them at that time.”

Crews are currently prepping for curb installation as well as paving.

“The only issue that we’ve got just now is some timing around paving,” said Simpon.

“Paving crews are very hard to get in the north, they’re very hard to lock down on their schedule, and of course when you have situations like fire and smoke and so on, and they’re moving their projects around and their project schedules around, that’s the only piece. Notwithstanding that, the project is still tracking on time.”

The approximate $6.2 million project was initiated by the City to replace a water main under a three block radius that was installed in 1952 and showing signs of failing.

“In fact when they did open up the street for the Phase II, they found that it was actually failing at the end of that and there was what they called a submerged reduct pond underneath the water main,” Simpson explained.

“So it was good that when we did it when we did. We’re also taking advantage of the fact that the entire street and sidewalk had to be removed in order to do the water main replacement to then completely redesign Reid Street as a new modern retail space, and that’s approximately $1.2 million of the entire budget.”