Estevan city council approves sidewalk for Perkins Steet

ESTEVAN - Perkins Street is going to be a little safer for pedestrians, after Estevan city council approved a sidewalk for the south side of the arterial road during Monday night's meeting.

A 433-metre-long concrete sidewalk from Second Avenue to Fourth Avenue was awarded to NorthStar Concrete Inc. for $189,711. It will be nearly five feet wide. NorthStar had also submitted a quote for another option that was a little less than four feet wide for $177,391, but council opted for the wider walking area.

Construction on the project is to start on May 15 and the completion date is set for June 10. Pre-construction arrangements and meetings are to happen prior to the project's start-up date.

"It is expected that the project will be completed on time, however, if more time than planned is required due to weather or other events, the schedule will be reset accordingly," city engineer Kiflom Weldeab wrote in a report to council.

Coun. Travis Frank said the price difference was "pretty minor" to go with a wider sidewalk.

"For the lifetime of that sidewalk, it's worthwhile to have a wider sidewalk," said Frank.

Coun. Shelly Veroba wanted to know what the standard width is of a sidewalk, and Coun. Lindsay Clark replied this should be enough.

"I would think the older ones were four feet, but the standard must be five feet," said Clark.

Mayor Roy Ludwig said they often get two or three tenders for a sidewalk project, but he also pointed out the city has had good success with this contractor in the past.

"It depends on the timing too. In some cases, if the construction season has already begun, we'll be busy on other projects, so we might not get as many tenders," said Ludwig.

The discussions about Perkins Street began last fall after council received a request from Haley Weber for a sidewalk to be built on the busy road, which is part of Estevan's truck route. Weber noted many families live on Perkins Street and they often have to walk on the street due to the absence of a sidewalk for most of the stretch from Second Avenue to McDonald Road.

There is a sidewalk on the north side of Perkins from First Street A to Fourth Avenue, with the exception of a half-block stretch from Fifth Avenue to First Street. 

There was money in the 2024 city budget for a sidewalk on Perkins Street.