Massive crane extension forcing street closure in downtown Kelowna

KELOWNA – One block of Ellis Street will be closed in downtown Kelowna starting tomorrow morning in order to extend a construction crane at the Ella high-rise development.

That means closing Ellis Street between Bernard and Lawrence Avenues for at least two days, starting at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning, March 19.

“It takes two days but we don’t live in a perfect world, so in case the winds come up or anything, we’ve asked the city for three days,” Darrin Bibby, superintendent for ITC Construction told iNFOnews.ca. “Cross your fingers, it will only take two days.”

He needs to park three semi-trailers on the street in order to lay out the 140 feet of tower extensions to add to the height of the existing crane.

The sections are “self-erecting," which is a process Bibby said is just too hard to describe over the phone. He spoke to iNFOnews.ca while standing on the 11th floor of what will become a 20-storey tower.

The 12th floor is expected to be poured Saturday with the building “topped off” in the first week of June.

Between now and then there will continue to be periodic closures of Lawrence Avenue between Ellis and Pandosy Streets for concrete pours.

The crane will stay in place for about six weeks after the last pour in order to lift the roofing and mechanical items. Another Ellis Street closure will be needed when the crane comes down in the summer.

Businesses across Ellis will remain open during tomorrow’s street closure, Bibby said, but pedestrians will have to stay away at times when the crane is “flying” material.

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