Steinbach tenders come in lower than expected

As Steinbach city council approved tenders for infrastructure projects on Tuesday, councillors noted that prices were much lower than anticipated.

Council approved a $1.38 million tender to Maple Leaf Construction for their 2026 capital works program projects including asphalt overlay on four streets and new sidewalks. Their consultant’s estimate was $1.98 million.

Moments later they approved a contract for the Millwork Drive wastewater sewer renewal project and a tender to Friesen Hauling & Excavating for close to $1.46 million, well below the consultant’s estimate of $2.13 million.

Combined it represents savings of nearly $1.3 million.

Tenders did range in cost, however.

Five tenders were submitted for the capital works renewal project ranging from the low of $1.38 million from Maple Leaf Construction to a high of $1.86 million from JC Paving Ltd.

Three bids came in for the sewer renewal project ranging from the low of $1.46 million for Friesen Hauling to $2.24 million from Accurate HD.

Steets and sidewalks

The 2026 capital works program covers a variety of locations.

It will see 280 metres of resurfacing on Maplewood Street between Loewen Boulevard and Stonebridge Crossing. The existing road was last resurfaced in 1997, and the last recorded pavement condition index rating was 37 percent.

Stonebridge Crossing will see 530 metres of asphalt resurfacing between Highway 12 and Albert Steet. That road has sections that were last resurfaced in 1997 and 1987.

Cypress Place will see asphalt resurfacing. The road was last resurfaced in 1989, and it had the lowest PCI rating of 30 percent.

Meadowood Place will also be resurfaced. It was last resurfaced in 1988.

A total of 320 metres of sidewalk will be built along Wyndham Estate Drive between Winston Place and Preston Place.

An additional 65 metres of sidewalk will be built through the public reserve on Winston Place to connect with Deerfield Trail.

The gas tax reserve will cover $1.2 million, the general operating fund will deliver $1.04 million, and the capital development reserve will contribute $50,000 to the project.

Coun. Michael Zwaagstra made the motion to approve saying the program to extend the life of roadways with asphalt overlay has existed for more than 20 years.

“This is our long-standing asphalt overlay program where we invest in making repairs to roads to that they last on a longer-term basis,” he said.

Sewer renewal

The sewer renewal project promises to not only replace but enlarge the existing sewer pipe on Millwork Drive between Highway 12 and the Lund trunk sewer line.

Built in 1965, the existing concrete pipe is nearing the end of its life.

Its replacement will be a 525 mm PVC pipe to provide increased capacity and an expected lifespan of 75 to 100 years.

Funding will include $1.65 million from the capital development reserve, a MB Water Services Board grant of $840,000, $200,000 from the utility reserve and $135,000 from the utility operating budget.

Zwaagstra noted that the city did well by saving so much on the consultant’s estimates.

“This is one of the benefits of going to tender early and packaging these together in one big project because than we tend to get better prices,” he said.