Steinbach city council has come up with a way to complete the full Old Tom Road paving project this year. The low tender came in about $200,000 over budget and council considered not paving a portion of the project around the corner of Old Tom and Park road.

Councillor Michael Zwaagstra made a motion Tuesday evening that city council take the additional $200,000 from surplus funds or from the Capital Development Reserve. The motion received unanimous approval.

"As council, we felt it was important to move ahead with paving the entire project, the entire section as we had originally planned. We passed a motion to go ahead with the paving and also to take the extra money that would be needed out of a combination of any surplus funds we have at the end of the year and also from our Capital Development Reserve which is often used for project of this nature. By doing that, we'll be able to move ahead with the full paving of Old Tom Road this year."

Deputy Mayor John Fehr seconded the motion.

"Oh I'm so happy that we decided to do the whole thing. These projects never cost you less if you delay them and so I felt it was just so important that we did that."

The project involves paving Old Tom Road as well as gravel sections of Loewen Boulevard and Park Road from Old Tom going west. The work will cost $1.2 million.