2020 has been a busy year of construction for the City of Vernon.
On Dec. 4, a major north-south corridor reopened to traffic as work was completed on Pleasant Valley Road, between 48th Avenue and BX Creek. The project added a new storm sewer main and outfall into BX Creek, road reconstruction, new curbs, gutters and a multi-use path, and safety improvements at the intersection of Pleasant Valley Road and 48th.
“We are incredibly proud of the construction work that took place in Vernon this year,” said Mayor Victor Cumming.
“In the midst of global disruption and a lot of economic uncertainty caused by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city managed to keep on track and on pace with more than $18-million in infrastructure renewal and improvement projects we had planned this year. Not only did this work revitalize critical infrastructure, but it also helped support our local economy, and added new and improved active transportation routes to support a more sustainable and healthy future for our community.”
On top of the Pleasant Valley Road project, other major 2020 projects included:
- 48th Avenue (between 29th St and HWY 97): new drainage culvert and storm outfall, road improvements to address seasonal localized flooding, new multi-use pathway and curbing, and a new transit bus access to the Village Green Shopping Centre.
- 32nd Avenue (between 33rd St and 35th St): rehabilitation of water main, storm and sanitary sewer utilities, sidewalk replacement, road rehabilitation, and a new traffic signal at 32nd Ave and 34th St.
- 29th Street and 30th Street (between 37th Ave and 41st Ave): a new road through the former Civic Arena site, rehabilitation of sanitary, storm and road infrastructure, a new multi-use pathway, and a double roundabout – to be completed in spring 2021.
- 25th Avenue (between 28th Ave and VWRC): installation of a new high strength waste sanitary sewer main using directional drilling.
- 25th Avenue/Okanagan Landing Road (between Tronson Road and VWRC): twinning of a sewer force main using directional drilling – to be completed in 2021.
- Polson Park: pedestrian and cyclist trail upgrade to multi-use pathway in the south end of the park.
- Okanagan Landing Road (between Lakeshore Rd and Paddlewheel Park): multi-use pathway upgrades and installation of concrete barriers to increase pedestrian and cyclist safety.
- 15th Street/Middleton Way: installation of a multi-use pathway between Kosmina Road and HWY 6.
- Eastside Road, Tronson Road and Crosby Road: Rock slope stabilization work.
Asset management and public infrastructure needs have been addressed through the city’s rolling four-year capital plan, meaning some of this past year’s work was part of a multi-year strategy — including the rehabilitation of 48th Avenue and Pleasant Valley Road.
Due to unseasonable cold weather this fall, paving on the 29th/30th Street corridor at 39th Avenue could not be completed this year. The construction zone will remain closed to through traffic until paving can be done in the spring, to avoid material damage from snow plowing and vehicles on the unpaved surface.
Council endorsed the 2021 budget last week, and to help reduce the overall budget increase council chose to pause the ongoing 1.9 per cent infrastructure levy for one year. As Mayor Cumming explains, this means there will be no increase to the capital budget next year.
“However, the City still has more than $18-million worth of capital projects ready to go for 2021, which will continue to renew and replace aging infrastructure, enhance transportation safety, and support our local economy as we move towards a period of recovery,” Cumming said.
For more information on the city’s capital works projects and the ongoing infrastructure levy, visit www.vernon.ca/capitalworks.
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