The city of Kamloops says it is aware of drivers speeding through residential streets as work continues on the Tranquille Road sewer replacement project.

Capital Projects Manager Darren Crundwell is asking people to obey the rules of the road as concerns have been raised by area residents.

“We’re talking to the RCMP asking them to please put some time in down there, which they did do. Unfortunately, we see that really the only thing that helps is enforcement,” he told NL News. “We are trying to put up speed signs but there are still the speeding issues.”

Similar speeding concerns were also raised while work was going on through the Victoria Street West corridor last year. Crundwell says there is only so much the city can do when it comes to people obeying the speed signs and following the posted detour signs.

“When we are forcing that much traffic onto another road, we do look at trying to get that to another collector road or arterial road, not using the side streets,” he added.

“But unlike the Victoria Street West project, there are so many ways around with the road network over there, that you are going to see people not following the detour and cutting through local roads and forcing more traffic in areas where they otherwise wouldn’t see that traffic.”

On a positive note, he says these detours are short term.

“We’re moving ahead quicker and in phases so the detours are changing. What one neighbourhood is frustrated about today, they won’t be dealing with tomorrow essentially,” Crundwell said. “We not looking at doing a whole bunch more to stop that, because there is only so much we can do.”

He adds that while construction is progressing well, the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact and work is now expected to be completed by Fall 2021.