Balmoral reconstruction begins, but multi-use trails delayed

The final phase in a major reconstruction of Balmoral Street is set to begin Wednesday after a delayed start, closing the road between Alloy and Central.

Detour routes will be available and marked with signage.

The work, which will rebuild the stretch of Balmoral from Alloy Drive to Beverly Street, faced weeks of delay as the city awaited word on about $700,000 in federal-provincial Investing in Community Infrastructure Program funds it applied for. The ICIP dollars would support active transportation connections to transit stops along the route, with multi-use trails planned for both sides of Balmoral.

Balmoral reconstruction begins, but multi-use trails delayed

With no answer yet and the clock ticking on the region’s short construction season, however, the city opted to move ahead with the project while putting the multi-use trail portion of the work on pause.

City council supported that recommendation in a unanimous vote on Monday, reducing the value of the tender awarded to Bruno’s Contracting by about one million dollars to $7.2 million.

The move will allow the trails to remain eligible for ICIP funds, which won’t cover projects if a contract has already been awarded. “We still haven’t heard back about it yet, but we really needed to get started out here,” said project engineer Mike Vogrig. “It’s a pretty big contract – $8 million – and there’s a lot of work to do.”

The work, which includes filling ditches to make room for the trails and adding storm sewers on both sides, as well as a full rebuild of the roadway, is expected to occupy the full length of the construction season, with completion estimated by the end of October.

Vogrig expressed optimism the city would hit that mark, noting contractor Bruno’s Contracting delivered the first phase of the Balmoral reconstruction on time and on budget.

The city remains committed to adding the trail sections, director of engineering Kayla Dixon told council Monday, but it is now uncertain if that work will go ahead this year. Dixon has said the trails will be an important addition to the city’s active transportation network.

The city now expects a firm answer on ICIP funding by mid- to late-June, she said. With Synergy North conducting pole removal on one side of the road, and contractor Bruno’s working on the other, it won’t initially be possible to open Balmoral to single lanes to traffic, Vogrig said.

That could change throughout the summer, but will depend on the pace of work. The city had initially indicated a single lane of traffic would continue to flow for most of the summer.

Drivers are asked to exercise caution in the area.

City council was originally set to approve a tender for the work on May 2 to Bruno’s, which submitted the lowest among three tenders at $8.29 million.

After an HST rebate and a $450,000 allowance for Synergy North to conduct pole relocation, the work is expected to cost the city $8.2 million.

That beats the city’s pre-tender engineering estimate of $10 million, helping to blunt the impact of millions in cost overruns on other infrastructure contracts this year, attributed largely to global price increases.

The work represents the final phase of a reconstruction of Balmoral the city began in 2016, when the city rebuilt the roadway from William to Hewitson streets.

The second phase of the project, completed in 2020, rebuilt the intersection at the Harbour Expressway and extended to Alloy.

The entire project was originally supposed to take three years but faced various delays, including for budgetary reasons. – tbnewswatch

article website here

Three things….

• The work, which will rebuild the stretch of Balmoral from Alloy Drive to Beverly Street, faced weeks of delay as the city awaited word on about $700,000 in federal-provincial Investing in Community Infrastructure Program funds it applied for. The ICIP dollars would support active transportation connections to transit stops along the route, with multi-use trails planned for both sides of Balmoral. Balmoral reconstruction begins, but multi-use trails delayedWith no answer yet and the clock ticking on the region’s short construction season, however, the city opted to move ahead with the project while putting the multi-use trail portion of the work on pause.

OK….Did I not just see something about a $10 million surplus?

City reports $10.9 million surplus in 2021

Soooo, the City of Thunder Bay could pay the $700,000 and have the work done FOR SURE under this contract.  Right?  Am I missing something?  WE HAVE THE MONEY!!!

• City council supported that recommendation in a unanimous vote on Monday, reducing the value of the tender awarded to Bruno’s Contracting by about one million dollars to $7.2 million.The move will allow the trails to remain eligible for ICIP funds, which won’t cover projects if a contract has already been awarded. “We still haven’t heard back about it yet, but we really needed to get started out here,” said project engineer Mike Vogrig. “It’s a pretty big contract – $8 million – and there’s a lot of work to do.”

Sooo, the City of Thunder Bay is lying to the Province and the Federal Government?  Sounds like it to me. And they are admitting they are lying right here in print for all to see.  These trails are not REALLY part of a separate contract which would have separate contractor overhead costs. They are part of a larger contract where all of the contractor’s overhead costs are already included in the bid price.

What I see here is the equivalent of a person with a healthy income, job, nice place to live, going to the Dew Drop Inn for free food to save a few dollars.  THAT is what the City of Thunder Bay is doing.

• With Synergy North conducting pole removal on one side of the road, and contractor Bruno’s working on the other, it won’t initially be possible to open Balmoral to single lanes to traffic, Vogrig said.  

Why were the poles not relocated last year?  That work could have been done PRIOR to this contract being awarded. You know, planning ahead and all?  There is absolutely no reason for Synergy North being on this contract at the same time as Bruno Construction.  None.

Sooo lets recap. The City of Thunder Bay included the trail work under this contract BUT is pretending that work is NOT included in this contract because it needs money from the Province and Federal Government even though the City of Thunder Bay has a $10 million budget surplus.  It may not be able to keep at least one lane of traffic open because Synergy North is relocating pole at the same time as the contractor is working on the road even though the pole relocation could have been done last year.

You gotta love this city. Clown show. Seriously.