Despite the COVID-19 pandemic impacting city operations, the Victoria Street West improvements project is still on track for a summer finish.

That is according to the city’s Capital Projects Manager, Darren Crundwell, who says the major third-party utility service changeovers to businesses in the area went off without any issues.

“We’ve got cooperation from the third party utility companies. All of the new underground services are into the building – electrical, hydro, telecommunications, fibre – so we can start taking down the overhead lines and the poles right away here,” he told NL News.

Crundwell adds they’re waiting on BC Hydro to take down the overhead lines and power poles in the area, which will allow crews to finish work on sidewalks because the poles were in the way.

“Think this is really where the public is going to see the impact,” he said. “Once those poles are down and all those overhead lines are gone, and you know there’s nothing impeding views, it’s going to be I think a pretty special corridor into the downtown area.”

Crundwell says crews will also be installing crosswalks in front of The Mustard Seed and Sun Life, while finishing up some landscaping work over the next few weeks.

“When the pandemic, when COVID really started hitting North America and in particular B.C., it was pretty cold actually in the beginning of March, and the middle of March, and oddly enough, we weren’t doing a lot of work on site. We were fortunate that way and like you say most major work was done last year.”

There is some paving and milling work on Victoria Street West from the Overlanders Bridge to the Mission Flat and Summit Drive intersection that is set to begin next Monday, May 4. The 30 km/hr reduced speed limit will remain in place throughout the entire construction zone.