Stage 2 of the Victoria Street West improvements project will get underway this Sunday evening, May 12.

The work will take place between the BCLC upper parking lot entrance and just west of Boomers Automotive, near the Overlanders Bridge.

The city says Stage 1 work will continue and the two stages will overlap for about a month and a half.

Capital Projects Manager Darren Crundwell says people can expect to see a few changes through the construction area.

“We will be milling Stage 2 which is the two lanes on the south side of the road [Victoria Street West] and construction will be transitioning in that direction,” he said. “Traffic will be directed on the two lanes to the north starting Monday.”

Crundwell says the current traffic flow patterns for Stage 1 of the project will remain in place, with transit and emergency services vehicles still getting a priority route around the construction zone.

“Stages 1 and 2 will be connected though we won’t be finished,” Crundwell added. “The portion that we’re working on right now will still be closed during Stage 2 as well, but the accesses will still remain for all those business located in Stage 1 and now accesses as well in Stage 2.”

“We’re just working around accommodating those accesses with the deep servicing that we’re doing.”

Crundwell also told NL that while the location of the work has the changed, the scope has not.

“It still includes the replacement of all new water, sewer, sanitary sewers, and storm sewers,” he said. “We’re undergrounding all of the power, telecommunications and adding new services like gas mains and landscaping. That is consistent throughout, we’re just changing where we’re working to accommodate traffic and businesses.”

Stage 1 work is expected to end in July, while Stage 2 work is scheduled for a mid to end August end.

Drivers are being urged to follow all posted signs and the 30 km/hr speed limit, as well as to obey all traffic control personnel in the construction zone.