The City of Weyburn is having to adjust what was planned in terms of roadwork this year after the tenders that came in for the 2024 asphalt program were all well over budget. At last night's meeting of Weyburn City Council, the councillors voted unanimously to approve a reduced scope for the program.

The original plan was to repave Railway Avenue between 5th and 10th Streets, Moore Street between Sims Avenue and 1st Avenue Southwest, Prairie Avenue between Government Road and Mergens Street, the road transitions along Government Road from 2nd Avenue South to 9th Avenue South, and 13th Street between Harney Avenue and Park Avenue, as well as some work at the Weyburn Airport, some preventative maintenance at the intersection of 1st Avenue and 16th Street, and 1st Avenue between Government Road and 13th Street.  

The work had $2.458 million set aside in the budget. There was $870,00 set aside for the first four projects, $190,000 for the work at the airport, $170,000 for the work on 13th and 16th, and $1.228 million, which included funding through the Urban Highway Connector Program.  

Two tenders came in – one from Genco Asphalt and the other from Torrent Energy Services. Both of the tenders were well over the budgeted amount, with Genco’s original bid at over $3.7 million, and Torrent’s over $5.2 million. The amounts saw the city’s administration looking at changing the scope of the project to fit within the budget.  

These changes will see the work on Prairie Avenue and Moore Street, as well as the road transitions along Government Road removed from the 2024 asphalt program, the work on Railway Avenue being reduced by rough 1,850 square metres by removing the block from 9th to 10th Street from the list, as well as all of the intersection transitions on the north side of the street, and using $60,000 from the utilities budget to cover the pavement over the 2024 water main replacement trench on Railway Avenue. 

Other changes will see a small portion of crack sealing, the entire fog seal treatment and the application of new markings at the airport. The work on 13th Avenue and the intersection of 16th Street and 1st Avenue will be left as planned as the bid for the work on those projects fit within the budget, while the work for 1st Avenue from Government Road to 13th Street will go as planned, with an external line of credit used to cover the overage of over $660,000.

"I understand that this is not what you wanted to do, but we have to stay in budget," Councillor Jeff Richards said to Director of Engineering Jennifer Wilkinson during the meeting last night. "I think what you have proposed here is as logical a way as you could go, cutting that much money as possible. I like that we are continuing that focus on 1st Avenue because that is really bad, and I would hate for us to piecemeal that in when we just spent the money on 16th Street. I don't love this idea, but I suppose it's the medicine that we have to take."

The financing for the overage for the work on 1st Avenue will be covered with the city's existing line of credit instead of a loan, as a loan would carry more administratively. The $662,000, according to Director of Finance Laura Missal, could be covered in around eight years. Additionally, if extra savings for other projects come under budget, those savings could be put towards the line of credit to cover the overage.

The reduced scope of work will see the projects now done for $2.976 million, with the projects awarded to Genco Asphalt.  

No timelines for the work have been set as of yet, but are scheduled to be completed this year.