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Around and around the city goes

Charlottetown closer to issuing tender on design services for long-awaited roundabout

DAVE STEWART MUNICIPAL REPORTER dave.stewart @theguardian.pe.ca @DveStewart

The price tag for consulting services for a major roundabout project in Charlottetown has now topped $122,000.

Council’s standing committee on public works approved a resolution on July 22 to award engineering services for the often-nicknamed Belvedere roundabout to P.E.I.-based Harbourside Engineering Consultants.

The tender is worth $58,985. It will have to be vetted by the finance committee before it goes to a meeting of council for final approval.

This will be the third time in 11 years the city has tendered out for consulting services for the purposes of constructing a roundabout that connects St. Peters Road to Brackley Point Road and Belvedere Avenue.

During the past 11 years, CBCL Ltd. has done a preliminary report on the intersection to see if a roundabout could work there and said it could. The city then hired a New Brunswick consultant, Hatch Mott MacDonald, to come up with a design.

However, the project, which is estimated to cost up to $6 million, never got past this phase.

Coun. Terry MacLeod has been pushing the project since taking over as chairman of the public works committee eight months ago.

The roundabout would be located in his ward.

“Given the fact it’s been on the go for 10 years it’s time to get (started),’’ MacLeod told The Guardian July 23. “I’m afraid someone is going to get hurt under my watch (as chairman) of public works. Hopefully, we’re going to see some results.’’

One of the biggest reasons the city has given as to why this project has never moved out of the engineering phase is the lack of funding support from the federal and provincial governments.

MacLeod said the new resolution is designed to get their attention.

“It’s awfully hard to take (us) serious when we ask for funding partners and we don’t have our own work done. So, that’s what this is.’’

One of the things Harbourside will be looking at is whether there is enough land to construct a roundabout. All but one of the businesses located at the intersection have agreed to give up the necessary land required. Wilsons Fuels, which operates the Esso at the corner, has not.

Mayor Philip Brown pointed out at the public works meeting it may mean the city will need to expropriate what it needs from Wilsons Fuels.

Brown asked if legal proceedings have begun to that effect.

He was told Harbourside is going to see whether there is currently enough land to proceed without expropriation. If it’s deemed expropriation is required, the city wants to take as little as possible.

“Maybe we only need a small piece, which would make life easier for everybody.’’

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2021-07-24T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-07-24T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://saltwire.pressreader.com/article/281500754278088

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