Despite a budget that shot up by $3 million, Penticton gave the green light to proceed with the Point Intersection project.
Councillors voted 5-2 on April 3 to go forward with the increased budget for the project, with Couns. Amelia Boutltbee and James Miller opposed.
Tenders for the project were received in February and came in over $3.1 million over budget.
The Point Intersection project includes a roundabout at the intersection of Galt Avenue and South Main Street, a new intersection between Galt Avenue and Skaha Lake Road, a portion of the Lake-to-Lake bike route, a new sidewalk on Greenwood Drive and the closure of Kinney Avenue to vehicle traffic between Skaha Lake Rd. and South Main.
The project was initially budgeted in 2022 for $7,384,129, with $4,894,729 solely for the Point Intersection, but the total budget grew after it went out to bid for contracts to a total of $10,500,298.
Costs increased in almost every aspect of the project.
READ MORE: Project to fix ‘dysfunctional’ Penticton intersection comes in $3M over budget
Boultbee raised questions over whether there was an immediate need for the project when there were other capital projects the city is looking at.
She also raised the question of how much of a need there was for safety improvements in the area.
“I understand it might have to happen at some point. I’m not sure if it needs to happen now,” said Boultbee. “Right now it is just an inconvenience, it is not actually an unsafe place.”
Boultbee added further that she felt that the Wiltse development was years away, and that if the project was delayed out of the next construction season that was acceptable given the cost of the project.
Miller noted that delaying the project would only likely increase the final price, and that the upcoming Wiltse development won’t immediately materialize with 700 new homes.
Both city councillors Helena Konanz and Isaac Gilbert spoke to the safety concerns of the area, having either lived there or travelled through regularly.
“This intersection is a mess, having lived on that street and biking back and forth up there and seeing the amount of traffic that’s coming down from Pineview and Galt and especially Kinney,” said Coun. Isaac Gilbert.
Konanz also requested that in the future staff gave council a heads up if projects out for proposal were seeing similar cost increases.
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