Drawing up a plan for Barnswallow

Barnswallow Drive in Elmira will remain as pockmarked as the surface of the moon, but the township is at least thinking about ways to improve it, bringing on the engineering firm GHD to design a future reconstruction project.

Councillors this week awarded a contract for $129,000 to the firm. It will look at options for rebuilding the road between Church and First streets.

Approving the tender award, Coun. Patrick Merlihan noted there’s still not enough money in the budget to do the actual work, which remains tentatively scheduled for next year. Costs are estimated at $3 million, with some $600,000 needed from senior governments.

Director of engineering and planning Dan Kennaley said he remains “optimistic” that grant requests will provide the funding necessary for the project to proceed.