Second phase of 100 Street Corridor project starts today

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C – The city has closed off 100th Street and between 96th Avenue and 99th Avenue to begin the second phase of work along the street.

The city hasn’t set a specific date but expects construction to be complete in the Fall.

A detour route is in effect between 96th Avenue and 99th Avenue on 100th Street.

The work will include installing traffic signals at 100th Street and 97th Avenue, and upgrading underground utilities and paving 100th Street from North of 96th Ave to South of 99th Avenue.

Businesses will remain open during construction; however, the shops may have modified accesses.

Council awarded this phase of the project to Knappett Industries of Fort St. John for $7.63 million on April 12th. The project is funded through non-property tax revenues, such as the Peace River Agreement and water and sewer reserves.

Two phases are left to take place, with phase 3 in 2022 at 99th Avenue to 102nd Avenue and phase 4 in 2023 at 102nd Avenue to 105th Avenue.

“The underground infrastructure on 100th Street is ageing and needs to be upgraded, and with the necessary construction required, the City conducted a significant public engagement process in 2019 to hear from the community how to improve the above-ground public spaces,” says the city in a statement Monday.

The project results include wider sidewalks, boulevard trees with an automated irrigation system, new benches, decorative lighting, left-hand turn lanes and dedicated space for snow storage.

During a consultation in 2019, the city and community members put forward a new design for 100th Street that included reducing traffic to one lane in each direction from 96 Street to 105 Avenue. The plan was approved in October 2019.

The final plan will see downtown, along 100th Street, divided into five precincts starting at 95th Avenue and running north until 110th Avenue. The main part of downtown will run from 96th Avenue to 105th Avenue.