CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — The City of Charlottetown will spend $118,000 to repair part of the boardwalk that runs along the waterfront.
The parks and recreation committee met on Wednesday and agreed to recommend that council approve the bid from Earthform Corporation to replace the section of boardwalk that extends from the Irish monument to Paoli’s Wharf, located behind the Queen Charlotte Armouries.
Council unanimously approved the project at a special meeting on Thursday.
The city actually advertised two separate request for proposals for two different boardwalk replacement projects. The one behind the armouries came back within the estimated budget.
However, the city is also looking to replace the 20-year-old wooden boards between the old Prince Edward Home property and Government House.
The scope of the work would involve removal of the old boardwalk and adding new bench pads, improving the decking to marine grade lumber on upgraded 4x8x10 sleepers on a bed or gravel. The width of the boardwalk is proposed to be two feet, where feasible.
Frank Quinn, manager of parks and recreation, informed the committee that bids on the second project did not come back within the estimated budget. In fact, the prices were about $60,000 more than the city would like.
Quinn said the department will review its options and look at the scope of work to see if it can reduce the cost.
Coun. Mitchell Tweel, chairman of the parks and recreation committee, said it’s important that any boardwalk work match the quality of what now surrounds Victoria Park.
“Probably one of the best features we have in the city is our boardwalk,’’ Tweel said.
Speaking of the park, Tweel wants the city to have a look at extending the grass/concrete median that separates the two traffic lanes all the way down to Brighton Road. Right now, flexible delineator posts extend from the Victoria Park Roadway/Brighton Road intersection just past the playground in front of the park where the concrete median starts.
Those posts are designed to provide a barrier between vehicle traffic and the cycling lane.
However, Tweel said he’s getting complaints that the Harbour Hippo has been driving over the delineator posts and well into the cycling lane, causing a safety hazard for cyclists.
“I’m very troubled that this huge vehicle is driving into the cycling lane,’’ Tweel said.
Coun. Terry Bernard, a member of the committee, suggested moving the flexible posts over by a foot to create more room for the Hippo. Tweel suggested if there isn’t enough room for the large vehicle to safely navigate past the park it shouldn’t be allowed there.