Province willing to upgrade 18th St. this year

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This article was published 19/04/2024 (891 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The provincial government confirmed Thursday that it is willing to speed up repairs to 18th Street and get the job done this year — as long as the City of Brandon completes underground work along the road first.

Speaking to the Sun after the release of the 2024 provincial budget, which didn’t mention repairs for the pothole-ridden street, Mayor Jeff Fawcett had said he was hoping the province would work on it this year if the city’s work was finished on time.

At his state of the city address on Thursday, Fawcett brought up potholes as a “common menace that plagues our roads” and said the city was in active negotiations with the province over the resurfacing of 18th Street.

Reached by phone on Thursday, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor confirmed that the province is game to advance the schedule for the repairs.

“Originally, resurfacing of the concrete was on the schedule for 2027-2028,” Naylor said. “However, we understand that things have broken down faster than anticipated and we’ve been talking with the city because the main reason it was being delayed that long was because the city does have underground work to do in the area.

“Obviously, we’re not going to tear up a highway and replace it and then see it torn up while they do their underground work. I met with the mayor a few weeks back and my agreement with him is if they can get their work moved up and completed more quickly, we will absolutely move this project up in our schedule as well.”

By email, Brandon’s general manager of development services, Mark Allard, said the city is preparing to tender the work within the coming weeks.

He said that the city’s portion of the work on 18th Street includes the replacement of a watermain between Park and College avenues as well as at the intersection of 18th and Aberdeen Avenue on top of various spot repairs for sanitary and land drainage sewers.

The mayor also brought up the planned redevelopment of 26th Street between Victoria Avenue and Park Avenue when discussing road initiatives during his speech.

The city has been showing residents four potential options for that redevelopment, three of which would incorporate bike lanes and another that would see the creation of a multi-use path. Last week, the Sun reported on some residents’ concerns over the redevelopment’s potential impacts on traffic, parking and safety.

“Our team continues to assess options to various lenses including cost, safety, levels of service and public desire,” Fawcett said. “We’re seeking solution to balance the needs of all pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. Perhaps perfection isn’t attainable, but progress is and our city can be both vibrant and sustainable.”

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