Traffic turning onto 2nd Avenue to avoid the worksite on Lansdowne Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue.
The City of Kamloops says a temporary traffic detour on Lansdowne Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue is expected to end on Friday next week, June 28.
That is when Extreme Excavating is scheduled to be done with the first stage of the City Centre Sanitary Upgrades project, which got underway two months ago on April 29.
It’ll mean the end of the detour onto 2nd Avenue and Seymour Street that westbound vehicles have had to take as the City says Lansdowne Street between 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue, and Lorne Street between Uji Way and Lansdowne Street, will be reopened.
Post June 28, westbound vehicles will be able to head down Lansdowne Street as crews turn their attention to the second stage of the sewer project between 2nd and 4th Avenues, which is expected to wrap up in late August.
Matt Kachel, the City’s Capital Projects Manager, says crews will begin working on the south side of Lansdowne Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenue, with one lane of traffic open on the north side of the major downtown thoroughfare.
They’ll then move over to the north side of Lansdowne between 3rd and 4th Avenue, with traffic flowing on the south side of the street.
“There will be temporary intersection impacts at 2nd Avenue at Lansdowne Street in early July, followed by temporary intersection impacts at 3rd Avenue at Lansdowne Street in early August,” Kachel said.
The City says the Lansdowne parkade as well as levels two and three of the MJB parkade will remain open and accessible during construction, though there will be no on-street parking along Lansdowne Street between 2nd Avenue and 5th Avenue, to allow crews to work and traffic to merge.
“Parking on the west side of 3rd Avenue, between Victoria Street and Lansdowne Street, will also not be permitted,” Kachel said. “More specific parking impacts will be communicated directly to impacted businesses.”
Traffic impacts during Phase 2 of the City Centre Sanitary Upgrades Project in Kamloops. (Photo via City of Kamloops)
There will continue to be impacts to businesses – which will remain open while work is underway – as well as to transit and pedestrians along Lansdowne Street.
Kachel says the $9-million project is required as crews need to replace the existing sewer main line on Lansdowne Street, which is at capacity and unable to support future growth and densification of the downtown core.
“It’s going to be a bit of a balancing act between minimizing disruption to businesses and traffic while trying to complete a meaningful amount of work as we move forward,” Kachel told Radio NL last November.
“In a perfect world we would just close the entire corridor and dig the whole road up and put the pipe in and be done with it, but that is just not reality.”
Work began near Riverside Park and will end near 7th Avenue, with the overall project expected to be done in November.
“Given the location and scope of this vital infrastructure work, we understand how highly impactful this project is to businesses, residents, and commuters throughout the downtown core,” Kachel said, noting the project is currently on schedule.
“We will continue to do our utmost to ensure open, transparent, and timely communication for businesses and the public, and our project team continues to monitor traffic management plans and flow.”
For more information on the City Centre Sanitary Upgrades project, go here.
