Expansion joint along Overlanders Bridge (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

OVERLANDERS BRIDGE

Overlanders Bridge project ahead of schedule and under budget as reopening nears: City of Kamloops

Oct 3, 2025 | 1:00 PM

KAMLOOPS — A rehabilitation project on the Overlanders Bridge in Kamloops is nearing completion as the bridge deck section of the project is set to wrap up this weekend.

City of Kamloops Infrastructure Delivery Manager Matt Kachel said Friday (Oct. 3) the project – which began in July – will not only finish slightly ahead of schedule, but also approximately $50,000 under budget.

“The quality of the work is top notch,” Kachel said, refencing the work done by River Valley Construction Services Ltd., which was picked following an RFP process. “We haven’t had to go back and do any rework, which is really good.”

Four-lane traffic will return Saturday (Oct. 4), though Kachel said there will be a southbound lane closure next week for the final phase of the project on the off-ramp towards Mission Flats and Sahali.

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“The great news is that the main work on the bridge deck is done,” Kachel added. “But we are going to work our way into the south off-ramp toward Mission Flats. Unfortunately, there is only one lane there so we are going to have to close that and detour it. But the good news about that is we don’t have concrete work and we don’t have membrane work, so we are able to do that night work that everybody was asking for and run a 24-hour shift.”

“We took our schedule, it was going to be 10 days of a regular shift, but we are able to crunch it down into five by running two shifts, 24 hours to get it done quickly.”

Final Phase of the Overlanders Bridge project in Kamloops. (Image Credit: City of Kamloops)

According to the city, work on the off-ramp is expected to take place between Oct. 8 and 15 – including on Thanksgiving Monday (Oct. 13) – with the project set to be officially done by Oct. 16.

The City of Kamloops has been bombarded with complaints over the course of the project, including some colourful language thrown at workers during the interview from passing motorists.

Overall, the work completed will help extend the life of the bridge, with the next major project on the Overlanders Bridge now a decade away.

“The purpose of this project was to preserve the lifespan of Overlanders Bridge and to replace the expansion joints and eliminate a few of them within the bridge so the water doesn’t damage and the weight doesn’t destroy them and cause deck damage,” said Kachel.

“This project avoids a bigger project by doing them in these ten-year increments.”

This rehabilitation project also included the application of a sand-textured epoxy coating to the multi-use pathway on the east side of the bridge to improve safety and durability.