Photo: City of West Kelowna

Rendering of Butt Road/Old Okanagan Highway intersection improvements.

The City of West Kelowna will use savings realized from two recent road projects to make up the shortfall in the Butt Road/Old Okanagan Highway intersection project.

City council this week approved the awarding of a contract to BC General Contracting for $3.24 million, $500,000 more than the city had budgeted for the project.

Despite numerous questions and inquiries during the bid process, the BC General Contracting was the only bid received.

Staff indicated the complex nature of the project with multiple jurisdictions and utilities involved led to the lone bid.

In order to make up the shortfall, substantial savings from the Horizon Drive pedestrian project and last year’s Shannon Lake Road project will be used to make up the difference between the budgeted amount and the bid.

Work on the intersection, described as the most dangerous in the municipality, will include adding left turn lanes to all four legs, a right turn leg at the busiest leg westbound on Butt Road, the addition of 350 metres of sidewalk, 640 metres of bike lanes and 174 metres of watermain replacement.

The project is expected to begin later this month with completion in the fall.

One extended multi-week road closure will be implemented at some point.

“This needs to happen,” said Coun. Rick de Jong. “It is going to upset residents, it will have an impact on traffic during the busy tourist season.

“That’s just the way it is. It’s a very complicated project.”

Construction at the intersection will have an impact on the annual Westside Daze parade route that traditionally goes through that intersection.

Staff indicate they will communicate with the committee to facilitate changes to the route.