HUMBOLDT — A redesign of a problem intersection has been put on the back burner due to higher than expected costs.
The city was hoping work on realigning the intersection of Main Street and Fifth Avenue could be done for around $700,000. One of the goals of the redesign is to make it so that vehicles travelling east or west on Fifth Avenue can cross Main Street without having to make a slight turn.
A report from Associated Engineering gave three options that ranged from $1.4 million to $2.04 million.
“We looked at the options and council has decided not to carry on with the additional planning that's necessary at this point,” said Rob Muench, Humboldt’s mayor.
The mayor said the city is putting the project on hold while they look at how to finance other projects on the drawing board, like lagoon upgrades and work on Centennial Park.
The recommended design, which costs $1.44 million, would have three eastbound lanes on Fifth Avenue for allow for left turns, through traffic and right turns. Some traffic movements would be possible at the intersection while a train is blocking Main Street to the south.
The design would also include upgrades to the railway crossing and replacement for water mains underneath the street.
“The preliminary work’s done,” Muench said. “I think we just need to look at how we're going to finance that and then proceed at that point.”
