By Alexandra Brothers
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
July 28, 2023
Several major upgrades are soon to be underway in the City of Mount Pearl. Councillors discussed the numerous improvements proposed for Farrell Drive and Wyatt Boulevard at City Hall on Tuesday.
A full replacement of water, sanitary and storm sewers, asphalt, curb and sidewalk was proposed for Farrell Drive in the section between Topsail Road and Evans Place, as well as to Wyatt Boulevard.
Additionally, the planning, engineering and development (PED) committee proposed upgrades to the Farrell Drive pumphouse and recommended the lift station on Wyatt Boulevard be removed and replaced. The PED committee likewise proposed the addition of a new water transmission line from the intersection of Wyatt and Tavenor to the existing water tower location as well as the addition of a second water tower in the area. The additions are recommended in order to “increase the water capacity to allow future land development.”
The committee recommended the contract to design the engineering plans for the upgrades be awarded to the lowest compliant bidder, CBCL Limited, for the bid amount of $1,447,004 (HST included).
Councillor Bill Antle asked about the timeframe of the work.
“I wouldn’t necessarily call this long-term" said director of planning, engineering and development, Gerry Antle.
Although the scope of the work is significant, director Antle said the expectation is to have the work designed through 2023 with construction beginning in the season of 2024. The schedule, he said, will depend on what projects are in place at the time.
Councillor Antle also asked for clarification on the total cost of the project regarding the price of the new water tower.
The director replied the estimated $1,447,004 does not include the price of erecting the tower but covers the “design, contract administration, tender preparation, (and) engineering work that’s required to complete the projects.”
Mayor Dave Aker then asked for a rough estimate of the construction costs.
“Some of these projects are funded already,” said director Antle, “so, some of this is already budgeted.” The expected construction cost, he said, is “somewhere in the range of $10 million to $12 million.”
The motion to award the contract to CBCL Limited was moved by councillor Mark Rice, seconded by councillor Isabelle Fry, and passed unanimously.
On a related note, due to the increased volume of upgrades underway in the city, the committee likewise proposed an increase in on-site resources.
The committee recommended the addition of full-time inspection services from its project management consultant, WSP E&I Canada Limited (WSP), on both the Multi-streets and Farrell Drive projects. WSP provided a quote of $93,178 (HST included) for this increase in work. This motion was likewise passed unanimously.
“I’m excited to see this coming through here,” said councillor Jim Locke of the upcoming upgrades. “It’s certainly a big scope of work here. I’m excited to see the upgrades to our pumphouse, our lift station, as well as the second water tower to increase our capacity in the area. This is part of our long-term planning.”
