P.G. Gets Interest on 3 of 5 Projects
By 250 News
Prince George, B.C.- The news isn’t all bad, some of the projects for which the City of Prince George is hoping to land funding, got a notice of interest from those in charge of the Asia-Pacific Gateway Corridor Initiative (under Transport Canada’s Transportation Infrastructure Fund).
Here is the list of projects which had grant appications filed:
a. Cameron Street Bridge Replacement
b. River Road Improvements – Cameron Street Bridge to Foley Crescent
c. River Road Improvements – Foley Crescent to CN Fraser River Bridge
d. River Road Watermain Extension
e. Lower Patricia Boulevard Extension
The application deadline was December 19th, 2007. A letter was recently received from Transport Canada in response to the submissions. The letter advises that “Based on the limited Phase 1 information available, the review committee found that the following projects submitted by the City of Prince George were promising:
o River Road Improvements, Foley Crescent to CN Fraser River Bridge;
o Cameron Street Bridge Replacement; and
o River Road Improvements, Cameron Street Bridge to Foley Crescent.”
The River Road Watermain is not eligible under TIF funding, and the Lower Patricia Boulevard Extension application was considered “less promising”.
Three out of five isn’t bad. The second more detailed applications will be filed now, however, Councillor Brian Skakun is concerned the timing of the Cameron Street Bridge project could be impacted as work cannot start on any of the projects before the funding is announced.
The Cameron Street Bridge project tenders will be received within three weeks, and a contract awarded within 60 days of that.
Radloff says City Staff anticipate a response to their funding application within that time frame.
The other concern is that if there is no funding for the Patricia Boulevard extension to link with Queensway
Radloff says in the absence of the Patricia Connector means more heavy truck traffic Radloff says the Patricia Connector would not go into residential areas rather it is a natural route that would create a better link with highway 16 and reduce the need for trucks to use the Queensway corridor.
One of the issues being discussed is a "by-pass" but Radloff sys that is high price item, and while it would reduce the issue of hazardous goods in residential areas, it would require long term capital planning. "Certainly if its part of our long term planning thinking right now, including areas of industrial land that are under consideration, it would go a long way to putting important parts of that bypass in, and reduce the issue of hazardous goods in residential areas."
Previous Story - Next Story
Email
Print
Facebook
Twitter
Digg
Del.icio.usReturn to Home
Posted by: Palopu on March 4 2008 9:34 AM
If we don't even have our plan together yet… then how can we even ask for the needed funding that certainly should be available? I think Jay Hill may see the inner city industrial route as the folly it is and thus the negation of capital funding for that plan… if that is the case then hopefully this city can get its act together while the window of opportunity is still available.
I say this is a complete break down in political leadership especially at the city planning level where we blame city council led by our current and previous mayors, as well as the provincial and federal politicians who are not taking ownership of these important trade routes that are their fund responsibilities for upkeep and future infrastructure capital improvements.