The Town of Canmore’s mitigation effort for Stone Creek in Silvertip is expected to cost $720,000.
The work was originally approved with a budget of $370,000, but manager of engineering Andy Esarte told council the number was based on preliminary concepts.
“In the original proposed scope we proposed to eliminate the culvert here and create a fjord for emergency access. Grades won’t allow us to do that and we feel emergency access is important, so we are proposing a different scope of work,” Esarte said.
Other reasons for the increased cost, he added, could include a higher demand for materials and having tendered the project in December after Cougar Creek. The project is expected to be funded by the province’s Flood Recovery Erosion Control Program.
The work includes increasing the capacity of the creek channel between the apex and Stonecreek Road. The culvert under the road in the creek will remain and Esarte said the road will be lowered as much as possible and the banks raised on the developed side. In the event of a storm, he added, the Town would put lock blocks in place.
“The protection berm exists only on the developed side of the creek and the intention is to create 2.5 metres in height from the channel bottom to the top of the protection berm,” Esarte said, adding if the creek loses confinement it would be on the side that is not developed.
