Power pole problem solved?

PENTICTON – The City of Penticton’s Public Works Department recently completed modifications to a couple of errant Fortis power poles located at the intersection of Industrial Avenue and Atkinson Street.

The work was required after a major upgrade of the street earlier this year to add curbs and sidewalks at the intersection. Two Fortis power poles ended up on the road right of way as a result of the improvements, creating a potential hazard for drivers and handicapped pedestrians.

Prohibitive cost estimates from Fortis for relocation of the poles meant public works had to come up with a way to answer safety concerns about the poles’ location.

The city’s solution was to build an additional curb and island surrounding the utility poles to isolate them from the roadway. Additional signs, curb painting and paving strips to the signal controls to allow handicap and wheeled pedestrian access was also done, as well as upgrades in pedestrian controls for traffic signals at the intersection to become isolated from the sidewalks. The city also mitigated this problem by paving strips to the signal controls to allow handicap and wheeled pedestrian access.

How do you feel about the upgrades? Do you think safety concerns have been adequately addressed? Let us know with a comment.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.