Motorists could experience challenges at a hectic Vernon intersection.
It’s expected work will begin Monday or Tuesday to widen 32nd Street so additional left-turn lanes can be installed on the west and east sides of 25th Avenue.
“This project will increase capacity,” said Reid Drummond, with the Ministry of Transportation.
“We want to get another 10 to 20 years of (traffic) capacity with the growth going on in Vernon.”
About 24,000 vehicles a day use the Highway 97 intersection.
The $5 million project should be completed by the end of June.
“We want to get it done as soon as possible,” said Drummond.
Presently, the contractor is developing a plan to manage traffic during construction.
“It’s the busiest intersection in town,” said Drummond. “The big job is to keep traffic moving when they are doing the widening work.”
To accommodate traffic, Drummond says no existing lanes will be closed during peak periods first thing in the morning and late in the afternoon.
“We expect that paving will be done at night because it’s easy to manage traffic then,” he said.
Once the ministry is done, the City of Vernon will build a multi-use path along Polson Park.
“The works will include landscaping a buffer between the road and the path,” said Rob Dickinson, the city’s engineering services manager.
“Once the ministry works are complete, we will also be reconstructing the access road on the southside between 34th and 32nd streets to permit a multiuse path and beautify the entrance to the city.”
Dickinson says there are reasons why the city’s initiatives will wait until the ministry project is wrapped up.
“Because they construct their works at night, we can construct the works during the day after they are complete for a significant reduction in cost,” he said.
