Overlanders Bridge seen from the west of the span

It seems the City of Kamloops has quietly been looking at a third bridge across the Thompson River into north Kamloops.

Speaking to Radio NL amid the traffic tie-ups brought on by Thursday’s crash involving a police motorcycle on Fortune Drive, Councillor Stephen Karpuk says council recently authorized staff as part of a meeting in April to start looking at potential options for a crossing west of the Overlanders Bridge.

He says they’ve identified a couple of potential sites west of the original Singh Street concept, which was scuttled a number of years back.

“You potentially come around the back side. We’re thinking of Kenna Cartwright. I mean, that’s a possibility that’s being explored,” said Karpuk. “Commuting time from Aberdeen Mall to the north shore, theoretically, 17 to 20 minutes.”

Karpuk did say that cutting a route through Kenna Cartwright Park itself is not being considered, calling it a “sacred gem” in the community.

“An alternate route, further south. Perhaps south of where we currently find our sewage treatment plant for the City, and ending up – perhaps – west of KRCC,” he said.

“You look at the traffic mapping and the modelling about what would be the commute time if people had to go around and down, so to speak, rather than directly the routes that we take in the present time, they’re not far off on what one direction [would be] versus the other.”

Possible route and location for a third bridge across the Thompson River to North Kamloops, according to suggestions from Councillor Stephen Karpuk/via Google Maps

In Dec. 2021, the City awarded a contract to McElhanney Ltd. to study potential locations for this new bridge. It’s not clear if that study has been completed, as no details have been made public at this time.

The original plan for the Singh Street Bridge was to wait until the population of Kamloops hit 120,000.

However, Karpuk says council wants to be more proactive than that.

“We’re not gonna sit and wait for that mark. We want it in advance,” said Karpuk, noting the history of access to the Kamloops north shore.

“When Mr. [Phil] Gaglardi, way back in the day… I think it was 1958, came up with the concept of building Overlanders Bridge. If you go back to the census of 1961, when it was completed [..] I believe the records show that if you added up all of Tranquille, Brocklehurst, North Kamloops, the Westsyde Rate Payers Association. I think BC Fruit Growers also had some land in there, and what would be known as Westmount, it was 3,623 people,” noted Karpuk.

“So he built, and had the visioning, for what the city would need, and there was only 3,600 people and change on that side of the river, and he built a four-lane bridge.”

So far no timelines or cost estimates have been released publicly by the City of Kamloops.