McBride ‘mystery’ posts reason revealed at Prince Rupert Council meeting

The curious public received answers on Nov. 21 when City of Prince Rupert Director of Operations Richard Pucci explained what the mysterious yellow bollards are for along Mc Bride Ave.

Pucci addressed two questions Councillor Gurvinder Randhawa indicated residents had asked him, one about the parking-bollards and the other about the Second Ave. road project.

The posts are steel bollards installed along the curb line during the recent roadwork when a water main broke. They are to deter vehicles on the sidewalk along the stretch leading to the McBride Ave. and Third Ave. intersection.

Pucci explained the bollards were the cheapest option to ensure there is no extra weight on that section of roadway as it is a cantilevered sidewalk which is very old with a stacked retaining wall underneath. It has been approved to have only lightweight and pedestrian traffic on it.

“To ensure the sign-off from the structural engineer, we had to put something in place. There were a couple of different options, but that option was the cheapest. The other option was a full retaining wall along the sidewalk,” he said.

Pucci clarified that at some point in the future, there would likely be a complete corridor analysis and the corridor through that section will be redone.

“So, not spending a tonne of money there to just pull it out … was probably the best,” the operations manager said.

Pucci additionally agreed the bus stop Second Ave. project is “definitely over schedule” and is due to utilities needing to be relocated.

“When we scoped that project with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, we looked at where the utilities were. [We believed in a] certain place at a certain depth and unfortunately, they were not.”

He said the construction is in the “homestretch” adding curb pouring is the next step. However, the project may not be completed until spring. Residents may have to tolerate a gravel surface in that area until the asphalt depots re-open, if they can not get asphalt through the city’s resources, Pucci said.