Alex Justus, of Alex Justus Masonry, (right) was busy laying bricks on the bump-out in front of The Art Gallery Osoyoos on Friday. Behind, his son Dominik brings over more bricks. His other son, Kevin, was also busy cutting bricks and laying them in place. (Richard McGuire photo)

After nearly two months of upheaval on Main Street, a major construction project is nearing completion.

“They’re way ahead of schedule,” said Jim Dinwoodie, director of operational services (public works) with the Town of Osoyoos. “They’ve moved remarkably quickly.”

Dinwoodie said H&M Excavating have until the middle of December to finish, but he expects work to wrap up before the end of October.

“We’re hoping optimistically that for Halloween, the kiddies will be able to use the new and improved bump-outs,” said Dinwoodie. “There’ll be no fencing and the construction rubble will be all cleaned up and they can easily cross Main Street and go trick-or-treating.”

The project to install new storm sewers and make pavement improvements, including the bump-outs, began right after Labour Day.

The bump-outs are sidewalk extensions at intersections that make pedestrians more visible when they start crossing the street and also make the distance they need to cross the road shorter.

By the end of last week, new concrete curbs were installed around the bump-outs, concrete for wheelchair ramps had been poured and yellow tactile strips were added at crossings.

Workers were starting to install paving bricks on the bump-outs Friday and that work is expected to continue in the coming week.

Dinwoodie said the contractors were hoping to lay the asphalt by the end of the week. After that, the only work will be clean-up and some small landscaping details, he said.

Meanwhile, construction at the intersection of Kingfisher Drive and 89th Street is still on track to finish by its scheduled completion date of Oct. 31, Dinwoodie said.

That project got off to a later start, but work has progressed quickly. Curbs at that intersection have been poured, but sidewalks, paving and landscaping still have not been completed.

Access to and from Kingfisher Drive from 89th Street has been closed, but local traffic access to Kingfisher Drive is still possible at the east end from Highway 3.

By relocating the intersection slightly to the north and removing the triangle, this will free up space for a new sewage lift station to replace the aging one on Legion Beach.

Dinwoodie said the town would like to continue working on Main Street next year if funding is available from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI). This would extend the new storm sewer to the entrance of Gateway Plaza Shopping Centre, but there would be no further bump-outs, he said.

More roadwork is anticipated next year, depending on what the new council decides, he said.

A smaller project to add lighting to the Canal Pathway was recently completed, Dinwoodie said.

There is now lighting along the pathway from 62nd Avenue near Osoyoos Secondary School to Highway 3.

Dinwoodie said there are no immediate plans to extend lighting further north from Highway 3, and when it is eventually done, it will be more complicated, because power isn’t available.

“One of the options for that might be to use solar-powered streetlights so we don’t have to run power,” said Dinwoodie. “The problem with that is, of course, they’re a little more expensive than regular streetlights.”

That project would not be as high on the list as some others that would probably take precedence, he said.

RICHARD McGUIRE

Osoyoos Times

Alex Justus, of Alex Justus Masonry, was busy Friday with his sons Dominik and Kevin installing bricks on the bump-out in front of The Art Gallery Osoyoos. (Richard McGuire photo)

Kevin Justus lays bricks on the bump-out and sidewalk in front of The Art Gallery Osoyoos on Friday. He works with his father Alex and brother Dominik. (Richard McGuire photo)