BRUCEDALE – By the end of September, drivers on two Guelph/Eramosa roads can expect to encounter speed humps.
Director of public works Harry Niemi spoke to council on Aug. 12 to provide more information about the project and to ask council to approve a request for additional funding.
“The only reason this came back to council is because we were over the budgeted amount,” Niemi said at the meeting.
The traffic calming measures are part of a pilot program that was presented to council in July. Originally targeting speeds on Conservation Road, the project was expanded to include MacLennan Street in Rockwood.
According to Niemi’s report in the council agenda, after reviewing traffic calming guidelines from the Traffic Association of Canada and the Institute of Transportation Engineers, it was determined the project should include a total of six speed humps – three on each road – rather than the budgeted four.
“The two streets also have slightly different types of humps,” the report states.
“Conversation Road has an elongated speed table type intended for collector roads, where MacLennan Street is (the) shorter local road type.
“The different types will also enable public works to monitor impacts with other maintenance activities, specifically snow plowing,” it said.
The township advertised a request for quotes for the project on its website, and also sent the request directly to six contractors.
Two quotes were received prior to the July 30 deadline, and both were slightly over the $44,000 budget.
“The budget amount was based on four speed humps at an average cost of $11,000 per hump,” the report states. “The estimated total project cost is for six humps at $52,000 with an average cost of $8,666.67 per hump.”
The report added there are sufficient funds in the “resurfacing reserves” for the additional $8,000 needed, “with no impact on taxation.”
Before council voted in favour of approving the additional funding and awarding the project to low bidder Cox Construction, councillor Corey Woods asked about the timing for the project.
Niemi said the request for quotations included a completion date of Sept. 30. He added that he expected to know more following a pre-construction meeting with Cox set for later that same week.
