Construction
Vernon sees strongest housing starts in years
VERNON - The City of Vernon is boasting its highest number of housing starts in six years. There were 255 housing starts in 2014, the highest number since 2008, which saw 368 starts. Meanwhile, overall building permit values jumped to $93 million, almost doubling the $50 million in 2013. It’s all good news in the...
Highway 1 widening continues
KAMLOOPS - Though the first phase of the Pritchard to Hoffman’s Bluff highway widening project is set to wind up this June, another 3.1 kilometres of the highway is set to be widened over a 16-month period immediately afterwards. The $23.4 million contract was recently awarded for the second and final phase of the project...
Strong building year in Kamloops
KAMLOOPS - More than $190 million in permits were issued in 2014, up nearly 28 per cent over 2013 but it wasn't quite a record year. The year ended strong, with more than double the value of permits issued in December 2014 over December 2013. With a total of 14 residential units issued permits in...
Channel Bridge project moves a step closer to reality
PENTICTON - Another step forward for the Channel Crossing bridge as the Penticton Indian Band accepts bids on the multi-million dollar project. Companies will give their best estimates of how much it will cost to build the five-lane bridge, traffic signals and highway improvements. Engineers have created detailed designs and specification books for bidding companies...
Tranquille business owners concerned about bridge repairs
NECESSARY REPAIRS COULD CLOSE MORE BUSINESSES KAMLOOPS - Concerns about traffic flow, loss of business and costs were all aired at an open house discussing the Overlanders Bridge construction project Thursday night but most everyone at the meeting agreed it is a project that needs to be done. Steven Puhallo of the North Shore Business...
Authorities investigate suspicious fire at Vernon construction site
VERNON - Police and the fire department are investigating a suspected arson at a construction site in Vernon last night. The fire department was dispatched around 9:50 p.m. Oct. 16 to the fire, located in a three-story building under construction in the 2700 block of 41 Avenue. “We caught it early, it could’ve been a...
More lanes for dangerous section of Trans-Canada
KAMLOOPS – The second phase of the Hoffman’s Bluff highway improvement project is going to tender on Monday. About 3.1 kilometres of the Trans-Canada between Kamloops and Chase will be widened from two to four lanes, according to a media release from the Ministry of Transportation. The Ministry calls that section of highway “one of...
New home for valued youth program thanks to community support
VERNON - A former Lutheran Church destined for demolition is instead being reinvented as a residential facility for youth. Dean Francks, with the North Okanagan Youth and Family Services Society, says the youth program is currently housed in the old pastor's house next to the church. Both buildings were beginning to show their age and...
Team needed to build the new patient care tower at Penticton Regional Hospital
PENTICTON - The province has taken a step to show they're serious about starting construction of the new patient care tower at Penticton Regional Hospital. The Request for Qualifications released today is part of the process to select a team to design, build, finance and maintain the new 287,500 square foot patient care tower. Interested...
Paving project will smooth out 42 km of Kamloops area roads
KAMLOOPS - The ministry is set to begin digging into a $7.8 million, 42-kilometre Kamloops area road paving plan Wednesday. Dawson Construction of Kamloops was contracted to start working Sept. 10 on the Hwy 1 corridor from Vicars Road to Grand Boulevard. During the first phase they'll also tackle improvements to the westbound truck climbing...
Strong month for residential permits
KAMLOOPS - It was a good month for single family construction in Kamloops with twice the number of permits issued this August over the same month in 2013. With 22 single family dwelling permits issued at a value of $6.7 million, we saw a significant jump from the 11 permits valued at $3.9 million issued...
Attention drivers: Highway 97 construction set for this month
VERNON - Construction begins Tuesday night on a notoriously dangerous stretch of Highway 97, and that means drivers could see some delays. The Ministry of Transportation is adding $5 million worth of concrete median barriers to separate four lanes of traffic on 11 kilometres of highway between Vernon and Kelowna. The work begins Tuesday night...
VIDEO: A look back at the Lorne Street realignment
KAMLOOPS - The final phase of the Lorne Street project is nearly complete as crews rush to finish up the landscaping at the corner of the busy downtown corner. The fourth phase of the Lorne Street Beautification saw the realignment of Lorne Street with 1 Avenue, Lansdowne Street and Victoria Street. The $2.2 million project...
July good for multi-family housing
KAMLOOPS - While the number of permits for multi-family units was significantly higher for July 2014 over the previous year overall, units are still down quite a bit this year. Last month permits were issued for 60 new multi-family units, up from only 12 in July 2013, but that did help put a dent in...
Downtown intersection set to reopen
KAMLOOPS - After a year delay and several months of construction the work connecting access to Riverside Park and the downtown core is nearly complete. Last summer a the city backed off the project because the cost was higher than anticipated and money wasn't available in the capital plan budget to cover it. When it finally resumed,...