By Madeline Kerr
Chelsea councillors have voted to approve more funding for further work on River Road, which has been undergoing a major renovation since July.
At a council meeting on Nov. 7, councillors voted in favour of additional spending to replace a culvert and install road slopes.
The total budget for the rehabilitation of the road is now $13.7 million, although Chelsea municipal spokesperson Maude Prud’homme-Séguin told the Low Down that, to date, the municipality has spent around only $5.5 million.
“Unless there’s a major surprise, we don’t expect any cost overruns by the end of the project, despite other additional expenses to come,” she said.
When it was initially announced early last year, Chelsea had earmarked $12.4 million to complete the entire project, which will include full reconstruction of over six kilometres of road from the border with La Pêche to Hwy 105, as well as widening the road near the Cascades Club and upgrading more than 20 culverts.
The council meeting on Nov. 7 was not live streamed or recorded due to a power failure, according to the municipality’s website. The minutes of the meeting will become publicly available after they are officially adopted at a future council meeting.