Flood-damaged path repairs could take until 2015

Repair work on some of Calgary's hardest-hit pathways is taking longer than expected, according to city officials.

• Flood-damaged Calgary roads cost city $25M
• City committee approves $95M more for flood repairs

More than 90 kilometres of pathway along the Bow and Elbow rivers were closed at the height of June's flooding and 36 kilometres still remain closed for repairs.

In many cases paths have eroded and need to be reconstructed, or the riverbanks have collapsed or are unstable.

However, getting all that work done is proving difficult.

"We've got done what we can this year,"said Duane Sutherland,the pathway leadfor the city's parks department.

"Anything off the river's edge we're continuing to do, but there are some projects ... that are going to stretch into 2015 just because of regulatory requirements."

City must work within 'fish windows'

The city has to get approval from provincial and federal governments when it comes to riverbanks that need reconstruction, and that can be a time-consuming process.

In cases where the pathways have to be moved onto private land, the city also needs permission and land use agreements from property owners before that can happen.

As well, the city has to protect fish habitats by working within what are known as "fish windows."

Thosehappen during April and from July to September, and are the time spans when reconstruction would present the least risk of harm to fishincluding their eggs, juveniles and spawning adults.

With those considerations in mind,the city says some pathways won't reopen to the public until 2015.

For complete details onpathway closures,repairsand alternate routes, visitCalgary.ca/parks.