The city will ask council to approve the cancellation of four projects scheduled to go ahead this year.
The move will save the city nearly $2 million and will return more than $1.1 million to various reserve funds.
As detailed in a capital status and forecast report headed to council next week, the biggest cancellation is the Blair to Preston pedestrian bridge, which was put on hold indefinitely late last year when the rare Charitable Research Reserve said it wouldn't allow the trail and bridge to go ahead on its lands.
The original budget for the long-discussed project was $1.5 million.
Cancelling it will reduce the city's need to go after $711,791 in external funding.
The Region of Waterloo already spent $260,000 on a municipal class environmental assessment for the project, an investment that evaporated when Cambridge council voted not to file its findings with the region.
Also getting cancelled is a $200,000 recreation services master plan. The city says it will be revisiting the project next year. In the meantime, a smaller recreation services rates and fees review is underway.
A plan to restore the Moffat Creek channel with a budget of $75,000 is getting cancelled because the work isn't required at this time.
An estimated $83,000 worth of construction on the Radford Road cul-de-sac is also no longer necessary since it was already completed by a developer.
As of December 31, 2023, the city had 309 open projects on the books.
The list includes 170 active projects, including those approved, in progress, or delayed; 12 partially or fully pre-approved projects currently underway; 48 projects where work is substantially complete and 75 projects ready to close.
Between 2020 and 2023, the city approved 318 capital projects with an original investment of $261 million.
Most of them were to maintain existing infrastructure likes roads and watermains, or build new infrastructure.
A revised estimate on the remaining capital projects is $280 million, reflecting an increase of 7.3 per cent.
Staff attribute the significant differential to the increased scope of work for the Preston Auditorium improvement and expansion project.
The good news is that on the 75 projects ready to close, the city realized a combined net savings of $3,111,875.
The savings resulted from construction efficiencies, savings realized for provisional items, and contingencies that allowed for the projects to be completed under budget, reads the report.
Among the capital projects going ahead this year at a higher cost than what was originally forecast is ongoing LED street lighting at $217,750 over forecast, Blenheim Road reconstruction at $477,100 over forecast and the Black Bridge Road bridge design at $100,000 over forecast due to geotechnical work, permit fees and a heritage bridge study which were outside of the original scope of the project.
The city's budget to replace a sewer pipe at Fire Station 5 on Main Street also rose unexpectedly by $60,000.
The original scope of work was to replace the plumbing under the women’s washroom, but the contractor discovered asbestos in the flooring material and now abatement work is required.
Overall, council is set to approve about $1.2 million in various project costs that weren't anticipated.
Key street projects moving ahead this year
Construction is planned and underway for nine city streets in 2024.
They include Albert Street, Elliott Street to Summit Avenue, Argyle Street North and South, Beverly Street, Dundas to Samuelson/Elgin, Black Bridge Road and new bridge, Blenheim Road, Glendale Place and Ash Street, and Oxford Street, from Roseview Avenue to Laneway 180.
Asphalt rehabilitation will also take place on Dundbar Road, Sheldon Drive, Lingard Road and Albany Court; watermain reconstruction on Holiday Inn Drive and sanitary lining of watermains on Winterhalt Avenue, Kummer Crescent and Shannon Drive.
Rehabilitation and upgrade work will be completed on stormwater pond 151, located at Franklin Boulevard and Lindsay Road, and the Dickson Street parking lot where the city will upgrade stormwater infrastructure and repave the lot.
A retaining wall on Edward Street will be renewed/replaced.
The total budget for the 12 projects tendered this year is $42 million.
The Beverly Street Reconstruction and Pedestrian Underpass project was tendered in late 2023, with a total budget of $10.9 million and the final tender price of $12.1 million.
