SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Motorists and cyclists in the city may face delays or detours this summer while a section of Franklin Avenue through Old Town gets a facelift.

Sophie Clark, left, and Grace Clark walk along a sunken section of sidewalk beside Franklin Avenue expected to undergo grading and paving work over the summer. - Shane Magee/NNSL photo

On Monday, the city's municipal services committee recommended awarding two contracts for summer water, sewer and roadwork to NWT Construction Ltd. with a price tag of $4.29 million plus GST.

The contracts set out what roads the company will be working on in the coming months, though city council must still vote to award the contract.

Kam Lake, Forrest Drive, Horton Crescent as well as water and sewer work on Con Road are included in the contracts.

One of the biggest components is road and sidewalk rehabilitation work on Franklin from 41 Street to Bretzlaff Drive where a section of the sidewalk on the north side of the roadway has sunk. Parking spots along the Gallery of the Midnight Sun will also be added.

"There are some areas of significant settlement that need to be addressed, for example right at the (Fritz Theil) park entrance," stated Chris Greencorn, the city's director of public works, in an e-mail. "There are also some water and sewer regrading, and water vaults that need replacement."

Another city tender for water and sewer work on Franklin Avenue from Bretzlaff Drive to Weaver Drive, work not included in the two contracts the committee recommended awarding to NWT Construction, was set to close yesterday. A city staff report indicates this work can be cut this year if it comes in over budget.

Because the main contracts have not been formally awarded by council yet, details of detours and traffic control have not yet been determined. Greencorn stated those items will be up to the contractor.

As well, the exact timing of when the work begins are not yet known. How long Franklin will be under construction is also not yet clear. Greencorn wrote that will depend on the resources NWT Construction commits to the various projects.

"However, the city will be emphasizing a higher priority on Franklin Avenue due to the number of residents and services affected," he wrote.

Greencorn wrote that the city and contractor will be holding meetings with those affected by the various construction projects.

Because of the large number of people who will potentially be affected, he stated his department will be working with the city's communications department to organize a meeting in the coming weeks.

No further details have been announced.

Beyond Franklin, the work planned for this year includes Forrest Drive between 51A Avenue and Burwash Drive; paving approximately 450 metres of Horton Crescent along with installing the curb and a sidewalk along one side of the street; and paving sections of Cameron Drive, Etthen Drive and Taltheilei Drive in Kam Lake.