East side road to be reconstructed

Glen Road improvement will include a new sidewalks and curbing, as well as a new surface

Article content SAINT JOHN – A deteriorating section of Glen Road on the city’s east side will undergo a full reconstruction later this summer after Saint John council awarded the contract during last week’s common council meeting. Council approved awarding the contract to Galbraith Construction Ltd., the lowest of three bidders, at $1.14 million, including HST. The road improvements will cover Glen Road between Simpson Drive and Connaught Avenue and include replacing the roadway, curb and sidewalk.

According to a staff report, engineers will also install a new road structure designed to address unstable ground conditions that have contributed to the road’s uneven surface over the past few years. Three companies submitted bids, ranging from about $1.14 million to $1.29 million. The winning bid was more than $660,000 below the engineer’s estimate of nearly $1.8 million.

The project is being funded entirely through the Canada Community Building Fund. With the contract award, the city expects the project to come in about $185,000 under its approved $1.3-million budget. The Glen Road project is part of a city-wide construction schedule that also includes work on Charlotte Street, St. John Street and Sydney Street, with approximately 31 lane kilometres to be refurbished and repaved.

Sections of Seely Street, Thorne Avenue and Bleury Street, as well as Loch Lomond Road, are also on the list to be worked on through the summer and into early fall. At the beginning of the construction season, chief city engineer Michael Baker told Brunswick News that this year’s schedule is not as intrusive as last year’s, which included the Main Street improvements and the alignment of Retail Drive with Ashburn Lake Road.