Submitted by City of Castlegar

With extremely high temperatures expected this week, the Columbia Avenue Redevelopment Project contractor is temporarily adjusting traffic patterns in the construction area to mitigate worker exposure to the heat.

Patterns will be adjusted throughout the day to ensure a safe and manageable working environment while keeping traffic flowing to minimize delays for drivers. During the hottest parts of the day, Columbia Avenue may be used for two-way traffic, which helps keep traffic flowing when it is unsafe for flaggers to work the detour on 6th Avenue.

“With these hot conditions, the contractor is taking steps to minimize the time flaggers and workers spend in the heat,” says Travis Christianson, the city’s project manager. “Since the flaggers are a critical part of the detour that is currently in place, daily adjustments will be required to keep traffic flowing and ensure the flaggers are not in the direct heat for too long.”

The city thanks the community for its patience during this time and encourages drivers to follow the signage in the construction area closely as it may change throughout the day.

The existing detour is expected to resume full-time once temperatures drop to a safe level for workers.

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