A price tag is being put on Phase 1 of the Erie Shore Drive dike repair.
A report coming to council on Monday night reveals that the cost of necessary services to immediately improve the stability of the dike comes in at $462,576.
In March, a large section of Erie Shore Drive was closed after it was discovered that there was a substantial risk that conditions could develop that would render Erie Shore Drive and the dike unstable.
During the same meeting where councillors voted in favour of closing the roadway, council also approved recommendations to give the general manager of infrastructure and engineering the authority to complete all the work and to make all necessary purchases to respond to unstable conditions on the Erie Shore Road and dike, referred to as Phase 1.
The cost of the first phase was initially estimated at $450,000. Original construction plans intended a majority of the work to be outsourced to contractors.
However, according to the report, the municipal public works department was able to perform the majority of the work internally using in-house resources.
"The original estimated timing to complete the work was six to eight weeks," stated the report. "Through extended hours and the hard work of public works staff, and the prompt supply of material, the project was completed in just three weeks. Costs were also significantly reduced due to the use of in-house labour and equipment, along with the donation of clay, equipment and operators from Waste Connections of Canada."
The final construction costs include consulting and contracted services along with material, equipment and labour for public works staff. Expenses related to municipal staff who were reassigned to provide services such as communications, security, social services and housing are also included in the total.
Summary of Erie Shore Drive Phase 1 costs (Courtesy the Municipality of Chatham-Kent)
The $462,576 expense related to Phase 1 will be funded from the Paved Roads Lifecycle Reserve. According to the report, the 2020 budget allocation for Paved Roads Lifecycle is $11.5 million. As a result, the expenses related to Phase 1 will reduce the number of paved road maintenance projects that are able to be completed in future years.
Councillors will have to approve that the Phase 1 cost be funded from the lifecycle reserve before it can be finalized.
Phase 2 will look at longer-term, more permanent solutions for the dike and the roadway.
