North Shore project delayed as Kamloops council focuses on Pacific Way highway exit

KAMLOOPS — Proposed improvements at a busy North Shore intersection that were due to take place in 2025 will now be delayed until at least 2027 or 2028 so work on an intersection in Aberdeen can move forward instead.

Kamloops Councillors voted in favour of deferring improvements at the intersection where Ord Road, Westsyde Road, 8th Street, Bachelor Hills Drive and the Halston Avenue all come together so work to add a second left-hand turn lane on the Pacific Way Exit 367 off-ramp from the Trans Canada Highway can go ahead instead.

While work at Pacific Way was expected to take place this year, City staff say it was pushed back as they needed to refine the design of the project.

“The initial cost estimate was based on traffic modelling conditions and a concept design that relied on preliminary two-dimensional drawings, without the benefit of complete topographic surveys and other design parameters required for an accurate cost estimate,” a report from City Staff said.

That work, along with “inflation, and current market rates for materials and labour” has added $1.1 million to the initial $2.3 million cost for the Pacific Way project.

“We are suggesting to reallocate money from the existing Intersection Capacity budget, which is funded through Development Cost Charges,” Transportation Engineer Nii Noi Akeutteh said.

“Alternatively, council can chose to keep the existing configuration on the westbound off-ramp. However, this would cause queue backups on Highway 1, increasing safety risks.”

Scope of work at Pacific Way Highway exit. (Image Credit: City of Kamloops)

Akuetteh also said that delaying the Pacific Way project – which has been on the books since 2015 – would have broken a decade-old commitment that the City made to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure as part of the move of what is now Cascades Casino from its original location at 540 Victoria Street downtown to 1555 Versatile Drive.

“If we postpone the project….we way may risk future ministry approvals [for other development projects],” Akuetteh cautioned.

Aerial view of the North Kamloops intersection. (Image Credit: Google Maps)

Council voted in favour of reallocating the money to allow the Highway 1 and Pacific Way off-ramp project to move ahead. Bill Sarai was opposed while Councillor Stephen Karpuk declared a conflict of interest as his office is located in Aberdeen.

“Westsyde Road, Ord and Halston intersection are our responsibilities,” Sarai said, while voicing his opposition to prioritizing the Aberdeen project over the North Shore one. “We’ve been after the safety of that intersection for five years now. There’s more highly likely [going to be] an accident in that crazy intersection than [at Pacific Way.]”

Added Councillor Kelly Hall, “I hate really being put in a position where you’re playing one development over another,” he said.

“I know Westsyde and Ord Road was a main concern of the community. The community is basically being held ransom which is really a disservice to people who live on the north shore.”

Work to add the second lane will be done in consultation with the Province, who Akuetteh said is the owner of the Pacific Way off-ramp and the intersection. At this time, it’s not clear when exactly work will take place.

“[The Ministry of Transportation] determines how much ‘green time’ we give to the left turn. But also, one of the things that usually in traffic engineering they will consider is how it affects other movements, because it could potentially let the others [area roadways] back up,” Akuetteh added, when asked if concerns about traffic backups on Highway 1 could be solved by a longer left-turn signal at Pacific Way.

“We have been in constant talks with the Ministry. We have good relationship with them but the traffic that was believed to be introduced wasn’t a decision of the ministry, but rather the casino relocation.”