As crews prepare to finish up construction later this month on the 6th Avenue bike lane project, the City of Kamloops is already working on the next phase of its Active Transportation Plan for downtown.

The next phase of work being eyed by the City is an expansion of the Active Transportation Corridor down Lansdowne Street.

Capital Projects Manager Matt Kachel says at this point, they’re not 100-percent sure what that’s going to look like.

“Still in the process of designing it, so I’m not exactly sure what’s going to fit in that corridor,” concedes Kachel.  “I believe the intent would be to have bike and pedestrian access in that area. But we have a limited corridor.”

Lansdowne is the only road which heavy truck traffic can use to get through the downtown core.

Kachel says they have taken that into consideration.

“The existing functions of the road would still be maintained,” said Kachel.  “The space needed for the active transportation corridor would come, I believe, out of the boulevard space, and not out of the road laneways.”

Kachel says the work would also be a “two-for-one” project.

“There is a sewar main that needs to be upsized and replaced — aging out similar to West Victoria Street and Tranquille,” he notes.  “I believe it’s going to go from 1st to 6th, so basically all the way.”

While the details of the project have not been finalized, Kachel says he would expect the project will likely take place sometime next year.