A few sections of Smithers sidewalk are slated to be upgraded this month.
At their Aug. 13 meeting, council voted unanimously to award their Sidewalk and Accessibility Upgrades Contract to MTR Utility Maintenance in the amount of $112,105.
The contract is focused on targeted locations to remove priority cracked and shifted sidewalks, add sloped let downs at intersection corners and to provide connectivity for incomplete pedestrian routes, with additional consideration given to areas of high pedestrian traffic.
That includes a stretch of Third Avenue between Columbia and Manitoba Streets, as well as a stretch of Queen Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues.
Mayor Taylor Bachrach said it can be disappointing to see how little they can get done on the budget.
“I always open those maps, you know, hoping to see these long lines of infrastructure that we’re going to tackle with that $100,000, but I know it doesn’t go as far as we wish it did,” he said.
The Town’s Development Services staff inspect all sidewalks on a three-year rotation, with the exception of the downtown core, which is assessed annually.