The city of Kamloops has awarded the West Victoria Street improvement project contract to Kamloops based Extreme Excavating Limited.

The total project is valued at about $13 million, and it will replace aging infrastructure in the area between the Overlanders Bridge and Seymour Street’s west intersection.

Capital Projects Manager Darren Crundwell says they will ensure that at least one lane of traffic is maintained in each direction during construction.

“That’s part of the reason why this project is stretching over two years,” he said. “There’s no way we’d be able to close that street.”

“We know the impact that we’re having on the businesses. We’re going to do everything we can to expedite this project. It’s going to impact 95 per cent of the public and directly the businesses on Victoria Street West.”

The project will replace a lot of the infrastructure that dates back to the early 1900s.

The city says beautification, enhancements to the roadway, and increased pedestrian safety are also significant drivers behind the project.

“I mean we’re physically impacting the businesses,” Crundwell said. “We’re undergrounding all the power, all telecommunications. So we’re having a direct impact there.”

“We are replacing everything in that corridor – water, sewer, storm, sanitary sewer. We’re completely reconstructing the road. We’re adding a hydro duct bank. It’ll address all future needs for power in the downtown core and east of Kamloops.”

Work is expected to begin next month and is expected to be done in fall of 2020.

Extreme Excavating was one of four companies that expressed interest in doing the project.

The city is working with essential service providers including Kamloops Fire and Rescue, BC Ambulance Service, the RCMP, and Kamloops Transit to ensure that service is maintained during construction.

An informational drop-in session is being held next Thursday, March 14, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at St. Andrews on the Square.