A pandemic won’t keep the McKenzie interchange project from meeting its latest deadline according to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Already twice delayed, the project is scheduled to finish this summer.
“The project is unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the exception of the protocols and policies the contractor has put in place that follow the requirements of the provincial health officer to help prevent the spread of COVID-19,” said the ministry in a statement.
Notably, in-person meetings have been reduced and when they do happen those meetings are held outdoors. Workers on-site have been sanitizing common areas and physically distancing while on the job.
RELATED: McKenzie interchange project sees delays
Work on the $96 million project (originally budgeted at $85 million) was first set for completion by the end of 2018, but was pushed to 2019. In April 2019, the ministry said snowfall and plan modifications pushed that expectation to the current summer 2020 date. The ministry did not specify when this summer.
The ministry said the final touches are still being put in place for the two-lane merge onto Highway 1 from McKenzie, the multi-use pathway over Highway 1 and the McKenzie exit loop ramp.
The completion of transit stops, bus priority lanes, drainage works, plus landscaping and lighting is expected to bring the project to a close in the coming months.
RELATED: Time-lapse video shows weekend work on McKenzie Interchange project
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