Kal Lake Road Project Begins

The first phase of the upgrade to Kalamalka Lake Road in Vernon will begin this week.

The work will include regrading the southbound lanes to accommodate a new four-metre wide multi-use path from 14th Avenue to the city boundary.

The timeline for work is:

Phase 1 from May 1 to July 25 (14 Avenue to Browne Road).

Phase 2 from July 25 to October 25 (Browne Road to Alpine Center)

Kalamalka Lake Road will remain open for Phase 1 at all times.

Two-way traffic will be reduced from two lanes north and southbound to one lane each way for north and southbound lanes, 24 hours a day.

Additionally, single-lane alternating traffic will be in effect as required at Kalamalka Lake Road and 11 Avenue, north of the Vernon Golf Club turnoff.

Traffic control and work crews will be on-site 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily from Monday to Friday, and with Saturday work as required.

Project manager Dave Hrabchuk from LB Chapman Construction says vehicles will still be able to get to the businesses.

“I’m fairly confident we can accommodate everybody and keep people moving in and out of there. Now if they are just using Kal Lake Road to get fro Coldstream to Vernon, then they should probably take a detour,” Hrabchuk tells Kiss FM.

Hrabchuk says taking Highway 97 and College way is actually about 30 seconds faster than using Kal Lake Road when there’s no construction.

He says he talked to most of the impacted businesses, and most realize it’s short term pain — for long term gain.

“It is what it is. We’re a local contractor doing the project, so there’s definitely positive aspects because we’re vested in the community as well. We want to see it go well,” adds Hrabchuk.”