By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning StarPublished: July 13, 2012 1:00 AM
The prospect of a road being torn up year after year is ringing alarm bells. There is a concern that once the Regional
District of North Okanagan is done installing water lines on part of Old
Kamloops Road this year, the City of Vernon could possibly initiate
major road rehabilitation and a pedestrian trail in the next few years. “For citizens, it creates more angst than
anything,” said Coun. Mary-Jo O’Keefe of residents seeing a road ripped
up over subsequent years. O’Keefe insists there needs to be a process where
all local jurisdictions come together and determine how projects can
proceed in a timely and efficient manner. “We should be able to have a meeting of the minds,” she said. That view also has the support of Coun. Juliette Cunningham. “There’s a lack of co-ordination of planning,”
she said. “Nobody is communicating. Maybe we can avoid these kinds of
things in the future.” Council has directed staff to assess the
condition of Old Kamloops Road within city limits and determine the
scope of rehabilitation work required once RDNO is finished with its
water line project. Staff will also investigate the feasibility of constructing a roadside trail from 43rd Avenue to Goose Lake Road. “It would require extensive fill and property
acquisition,” said Shirley Koenig, operations manager, of a trail for
pedestrians and cyclists. The cost to reconstruct the remaining 65 per cent
of Old Kamloops Road not disrupted by RDNO’s water work is about
$385,000, while resurfacing from 43rd Avenue north 2.2 kilometres to the
city boundary is about $250,000. The estimated cost for a trail is $280,000.
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