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Completion pushed back

Four public works projects in Coquitlam that got stimulus funding during the recession will likely be wrapped up in time to meet the senior governments' new deadline. And if they aren't, that could cost Coquitlam taxpayers money.

Four public works projects in Coquitlam that got stimulus funding during the recession will likely be wrapped up in time to meet the senior governments' new deadline.

And if they aren't, that could cost Coquitlam taxpayers money.

On Monday, city council voted to ask the provincial government to push the construction timetable to the fall to finish the infrastructure work. The projects are located at:

Schoolhouse Street (improvements);

King Edward Street (improvements);

Lougheed and Barnet highways (rehabilitation);

and in southwest Coquitlam (sewer upgrades).

Last month, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a one-time extension of the March 31, 2011, deadline to Oct. 31, 2011, for the shovel-ready projects that received cash under Canada's Economic Action Plan. In a report to city council, dated Jan. 4, Coquitlam's general manager of engineering, Bill Susak, wrote that the municipality would accept responsibility for any financial loss if it doesn't meet its new schedule.

"All four of the city's ISF [Infrastructure Stimulus Fund] projects are at least 80% complete," he wrote. "All of the ISF projects will benefit by having more time to complete the various outstanding items."

He added: "It is a much improved construction practice to do the major intersection work at the Brunette/King Edward intersection in the spring as opposed to squeezing the work in before March 31."

Port Coquitlam council took similar measures earlier this month to ensure federal funding for its expansion of Broadway Street between the Coast Meridian Overpass and the Mary Hill Bypass.

jwarren@tricitynews.com