KELOWNA, B.C. – After a six month-long closure, Lakeshore Road near Mission Creek in Kelowna reopened on Sunday.There are many happy drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, residents and businesses.
“Today was the first day actually walking legally across the bridge. It was wonderful, just fantastic,” says Richard Palson who works at a Petro Canada gas station located within the area of Lakeshore Road that had been closed. Palson is also an area resident.
“Each day was a 40 minute walk to work because it’s 20 minutes to go all the way across and 20 minutes to go all the way back,” says Palson.
The road had been closed between Lexington Drive and Cook Road to accommodate the construction of a new bridge.
It’s not just Palson’s typically five minute walk to work that took a hard hit. So did business at the gas station.
“Its affected all of the business on this section of Lakeshore Road quite a bit, like I don’t know how much the numbers are down but I’d say 50 percent at least. We’ve been affected seriously,” says Palson.
City staff say the $11-million project also includes the addition of sidewalks, bike lanes, new streetscaping and a roundabout. The 740 metres of road being worked on will still need a top layer of asphalt. City staff say if the weather stays cold, that work may not get done until the spring. The bridge had to be replaced in order to meet 200-year flood level standards.
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