The next phase of work involving Penticton’s $10.5 million Point Intersection project will soon begin, and result in the permanent closure of a local road.
Construction is wrapping up at Skaha Lake Road and Galt Avenue, with crews shifting focus to South Main Street and Kinney Avenue on May 21, to install new underground utilities and complete traffic safety upgrades.
City officials say Kinney Avenue, east of Skaha Lake Road, will be permanently closed and “transformed into a green space for pedestrians and cyclists.”
A new pedestrian and cyclist flasher will also be installed, the city added.
This work will also require a temporary road closure between Dawson Avenue and Secrest Avenue during normal construction hours, Monday to Friday from from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Kinney Avenue, east of Skaha Lake Road, is a 40-metre stretch of road that continues through to South Main Street.
Mayor Julius Bloomfield called the intersection — sandwiched between a Co-op gas station and Salvation Army — dysfunctional in March 2023.
“It might have been good 40 years ago, 50 years ago when the population was half of what it is now, especially in that area, but today, anyone who tries to navigate that….it’s a lesson in frustration,” he said at the time.
READ MORE: Project to fix ‘dysfunctional’ Penticton intersection comes in $3M over budget
Infrastructure work in the area includes removing and replacing water, storm and electrical infrastructure, upgrading sidewalks, curbs and gutters, and installing new streetlights.
Construction is expected to extend into late summer.
On Monday, May 13, meanwhile, construction work is also set to begin on Kinney Avenue, south of Cherry Lane Shopping Centre.
“While this will not require a full road closure, anyone travelling in this area should watch for signage and be aware that starting Tuesday, May 21, the entrances to the parking lot off Kinney Avenue may be temporarily closed during construction hours,” a press release reads.
“Shoppers are advised to access the shopping centre off Atkinson Street, Warren Avenue, or Main Street.”
