By Cheryl Jahn

Roads & sidewalks

City of Prince George unveils roads and sidewalks plan

Apr 27, 2022 | 3:19 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — The LeFarge asphalt plant is now open and City crews wasted no time is getting the equipment out, filling what has been a long-standing problem at Fifth and Watrous.

But that is not even part of the paving plan, which sets out 48 kilometres of road work. There are a total of 38 projects, large and small, this year and there is a formula to figuring which piece of road gets attention.

“So we utilize a road condition assessment from a third party vendor as well as logged service requests and then, of course, boots on the ground with roads foremen giving us feedback through the winter and summer months,” says Jordan Wiseman, Manager of Streets. “So we compile the list, then we verify the list and move forward with that.”

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The City also works with the Utilities division, to avoid having to rip up freshly laid asphalt to get at an underground project, like a sewer upgrade. Earlier this year, at budget time, Council went around the horn a few times around the roads budget. Initially $5.9 million was the suggested figure.

“I think we would increase it by a million dollars. And then I put a motion on the floor because our tax increase was going up. We we thought to shave half a million dollars, which is half a percentage, but still increase it from last year by about $500,000.”

And that $500,000 is welcome by the Streets division because, as with everything, the price of asphalt has risen and the extra money allows for a more traditional paving season.

“We got a little extra bump,” says Wiseman. “We’re at $5.5 million and we just did a little bit of work behind the scenes, we’re going to do away with the pulverizing of some of the stuff year just to get the lane kilometres standard to years past.”

Domano Boulevard between Gladstone and Malaspina will get attention this year. It is one of three major projects this year. The other two are Northwood Pulp Mill Road between 4288 and Pullout and the southbound lane of Ospika Boulevard between Range Road and Tyner Boulevard. 1.1 kilometres of new sidewalks will be created and another 1.3 kilometres of existing sidewalks will get work.

But while paving season is underway, pothole season never ended with the City filling over 5,000 since January. If you want a more detailed look at all 38 road projects on the books for this year, head to the City’s website.