City of West Kelowna staff will have to try again to find a company to install sidewalks and cycling lanes along a stretch of Horizon Drive.
The work was put out for tender from March 8 to 31 but only attracted one bidder - Copcan Holdings Ltd., which submitted a bid of $3,077,588.06.
“Which was a little surprising, because two weeks prior we had just closed the Boucherie multi-use path and we got four bids and very competitive pricing and it was a lot more work than this project,” said Rob Hillis, engineering manager. “Sometimes it can be luck of the draw and unfortunately on this one we didn’t get very lucky.”
Copcan’s bid was higher than the city’s pre-tender estimate of $1,847,000, which included about half of the improvements.
The project would see pedestrian improvements along Horizon Drive from Olympus Way to Covington Crescent. The 1.1-kilometre stretch currently does not have adequate pedestrian and cycling facilities. Work on the project was planned over two years.
There are three other projects in the area that will impact traffic in West Kelowna Estates neighbourhood this year. Due to those impacts, and available funding, the tender was cancelled and will be re-issued in winter 2024.
Coun. Jason Friesen said one of the challenges he has heard from the industry is that municipalities put out tenders and want the work done tomorrow.
“There is always a cost implication with that,” he said. “You either get it good, cheap, or fast, you don’t get all three of them.”
Friesen encouraged staff to make there was enough time in the tender process to attract more bids.
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