Why are they building new roads when they don't fix the ones they have?

Let the spending begin!

"Why are they building new roads when they don't fix the ones they have?"

To remove the traffic from old, unrepaired roads. The throw-away society.

Yet more capital required from the taxpayer for their Fantasy Island up on the hill.

Makes you long for the days when those who looked down at the proletariat and uttered "let them eat cake" from their ivory tower windows could still find themselves on the business end of a guillotine. Now they just find themselves with a gold-plated pension.

The important issue, is that City Council are spending money locally on northern expertise, instead of resorting to out-of-town consultants.

"The important issue, is that City Council are spending money locally on northern expertise, instead of resorting to out-of-town consultants."

Northern expertise?

Take a close look at the underpass from HWY 16 west near Tyner to access the Box Store heaven. Weaving distances far too close, no proper merge lane possible and side cut to the right as the access goes under the Highway far to steep an angle to properly retain the soil ... should have been a partial retaining wall.

Same engineers as far as I know ....

Doesn't the chart look nice? So objective isn't it? ... hmmmmmm ... wanna buy some property in Bolivia?

What a bunch of clowns we have running this VILLAGE

L&M Engineering, owned by IDL.

Hmmmm.

I think the name of this website should be changed to Whinny B!thches250!

Here we go again.......

Dipper philosophy demands that good news is bad for the movement and must be fought at every opportunity.

Carol James would be right proud of the dilligence shown by her brothers and sisters in Prince George.

Jeez its gonna be so tough on this bunch when the economy is going strong again...gonna keep them up nights being creative working on their "sky is falling" chant.

That fancy little chart must make all you city councillors feel justified in spending my tax dollars faster than the speed of light. All the firms that bid must be certified and bonded right? The fact that L&M will take longer to finish the project must mean they need more butt kissing time at the city cocktail parties. I am proud of one councillor I voted for...yes Brian Skakun. The rest of you are not living in the real world and you owe an explanation about not just this decision but several others. Its our money your spending...not yours. Shame on all of you.

I'm no asphalt expert, so perhaps somebody else on here can explain to me how 7km of brand new road is expected to cost $28 million yet only 2km of brand new runway cost almost $40 million?

Seems to me a new road involves surveying, tree removal, grading, ditches, and a helluva lot more asphalt, and probably a bunch more things I'm not thinking of...whereas an addition to an existing runway on a flat grass field pretty much involves some paving and lights.

Either the $40 million spent on the runway was a bogus figure and several millions of that ended up as kickbacks...or the $28 million estimate that the politicians are feeding us for this Boundary Road project is complete garbage and in the end it will be more like $60 million. And where are they going to look to cover the cost overruns? Your pockets....

Gus, you can answer tombstone. I do believe the impact loading was set at 11 on the runway, a upgrade from it being a 8.

Aother road to clear in winter when this city hall can't seem to budget for a normal winter. Doesn't seem right to pay one firm more when another firm is capable of doing the job for less. Whos idea was this points system anyways? Do you get more points for kissing ass?

Another $275 thousand extra of home owner dollars to keep the L&M palm greasers working.... A contract like this should have went to the lowest bidder with bid bonds in place for an acceptable standard. This points system is just a fancy way of awarding political friendlies that fund the city council campaigns their due kick backs. Point systems have their place and this is not one of them.

So kidder or you kidding? If you are going to build a house what do you do? Pay a little more for an established contractor with a history of good work? Or do you take a chance on someone without a good track record who says they can do it in 1/3 less time for 1/8 less of the price???

"Doesn't the chart look nice? So objective isn't it? ... hmmmmmm ... wanna buy some property in Bolivia?"

Not sure what you mean by that gus. That chart reflects how they arrived at their decision. However, it is completely useless because we have no idea what criteria was used to award points within the categories shown. At least we now know that there is some rhyme and reason to how contracts are awarded.

I see nothing wrong with the chart itself. What is lacking is further explanation to the taxpayer so we can understand the tool used.

Hopefully the criteria used was adequate.

The tool used is the city planner.
That tool has been leveraged to ensure that IDL/L&M get the contract. Whatever the budget is does not matter. The contractors will burn through it then come back for more funding on a stalled, over budget, over time project just like every other project they have done.

To boot, this is an undersized solution. If this is to prepare for future traffic density in that area including heavy truck, it will have to be built again to widen it out to its proper 4 lane configuration. Do it right the first time by building a right sized corridor. Other wise they are just replacing like with newer like. No real gain.

"That tool has been leveraged to ensure that IDL/L&M get the contract"
Don't you think that the construction part will be tendered? If IDL does get the job then good for them.
If they are the low bidder then what conspiracy theory will that raise?
If you think- or other bidders think that there is something "fishy" going on then take the city to task.

I never suggested a conspiracy.
I never suggested any particular contractor would get any portion.
What I am suggesting is that regardless of which contractor gets the job, they will not be able to complete it on the budget as bid and accepted or time frame.

How many redoes or touch ups had to be done for more public money beside the Tyner incident? How many projects came in even close to budget amount and time?

I don't think going over budget really benefits a contractor do you? These companies don't work strictly for the City of Prince George and do have a reputation to uphold to continue to work privately.

IDL was torn apart on here for their work on the Cameron Street Bridge, but why? because fisheries cost them 3 month's of work was it because they were not aloud to build a false bridge to work from like their bid contained, with these delays brought them to winter which is a whole new picture while trying to build a bridge made of concrete

If the biggest piece of wood you've worked with is a pencil then your comments are lacking

Oh and by the way IDL and L&M are local companies that employ alot of people and have worked really hard to keep them working over the last couple years so how about we support them a little

Ditto for supporting IDL, they do a lot of good and employ a lot of people, directly and indirectly. As for the runway cost;
Airport runways are built to a much higher standard than the roads upon which mere cars and trucks must travel ( can't be having thse pesky potholes flipping 747's over) Within those higher standards are some really serious requirements for flatness over the length and correct crowning across the width. I think the whole pie in the sky thinking here when it comes to the Boundary road project, is connected to that old cliche' "If you build it they will come"
metalman.

Why the spread sheet?
Civil Engineers are all trained the same.
They all do roads, its not rocket science. AND no creativity required generally which then would make it more difficult to assess.
Give it to the lowest bidder and save over $270,000. Put it towares fixing all those other existing roads, potholes etc.

Why the spread sheet?
Civil Engineers are all trained the same.
They all do roads, its not rocket science. AND no creativity required generally which then would make it more difficult to assess.
Give it to the lowest bidder and save over $270,000. Put it towares fixing all those other existing roads, potholes etc.

Hunterbill given that the lowest bid was from an experienced firm with no track record for problems it seems to me to be overspending. Both firms had the same bid sheet the finished project would be the same. Were not talking about $10 or $20 dollars Hunterbill this is enough to build your house. This money could have paid for at least 3 or 4 more task forces for downttown

I think at least one of the councillors said that she didn't know of the other firms (Associated Engineering and Stantec) other than L&M. Well, if you drive by and see L&M's office in Prince George, you'll probably say that you "know" that firm. But you may not know of multinational companies like Associated Engineering and Stantec.

And, for the record, as I recall, Associated Engineering was involved with the Cameron Street Bridge, were they not?

Anyways, just look at their websites and judge for yourself:

http://www.lmengineering.bc.ca/
http://www.ae.ca/
http://www.stantec.com/default.htm

Even if there was a legitimate concern for not liking Associated's "methodology" (whatever that entails), how could they be outscored in terms of "capability" and "historical performance"? Those two factors alone, combined with the lower bid, should have put Associated in the winner's circle.

Is this just another bush league move by a bush league council to make sure their buddies got the job at any cost to the taxpayer?