Construction to close Fort St John's 89th Avenue until ‘late summer’

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89th Avenue between 81a Street and 86th Street will be closed from April 14th ‘until late summer.’ (City of Fort St. John)

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Motorists in Fort St. John are being advised of an imminent and lengthy road closure on 89th Avenue due to construction work.

The city started reconstructing 89th Avenue in 2023, with phase one of the project awarded the same year.

In an April 11th news release, the City of Fort St. John said the second construction phase along 89th Avenue will start on April 14th between 81a Street and 86th Street.

The contract was postponed in May 2024 because it had exceeded the approved budget.

In February, city council awarded the second phase of the tender to Knappett Industries with a budget of approximately $7.2 million.

The city’s media relations manager Ryan Harvey says the project is expected to be completed by the “late summer.”

According to Harvey, the street will still be open to local traffic and allow buses and parents to drop of students at Duncan Cran Elementary School.

The construction will include replacing underground utilities, reconstructing roads and installing sidewalks and streetlights.

Detours will be in place on 93rd Avenue and 78a Street and road access will be limited only to local traffic.

BC Transit routes two Southside and route four Southeast will also be detoured around a new temporary route from April 15th until October 15th.

The city says the project is funded through the Peace River Agreement (PRA) and water and sewer reserves.

According to the city, the PRA is a partnership funded by the provincial government to local governments in the region and provides a significant source of revenue to fund infrastructure and provide services to industries, employees and residents in their communities.