Traffic signals crossed
By Chris Simon

Cookstown will not be getting traffic signals anytime soon.

Innisfil council cancelled an over $655,000 tender to construct traffic signals in the village, during a meeting last week.

Instead, the project will be retendered next year, said mayor Brian Jackson.

"I think we needed to do this to get the best deal for the municipality," he said.

Town staff say the project has been delayed because it would have run several hundred thousand dollars over budget.

Original estimated pegged the project with a total cost of $387,200. The provincial government would have covered 90 per cent of that cost.

However, construction prices were inflated, mostly because of concerns over poor weather during the winter season, said Grant Shellswell, the town's engineering technologist, in a statement to council.

"One factor for the high tender values could be attributed to the time of year at which the project was tendered," he said. "With the winter season approaching, contractors could have been concerned with the potential impact on the project that the season could have had and therefore increased their pricing."

Traffic signal part suppliers have suggested they are running low on certain materials, which may have also lead to the increased price, said Shellswell.

As part of the plan, the town will also ask the province for additional funding for the project.

"Staff believe retendering the project with a construction time period of spring may result in lower bids," he said.

"Therefore, staff recommend (the) contract be cancelled."