Council, TRU clear the air on pedestrian overpass, but project’s future remains foggy

Kamloops council earmarked $5 million for the project in January of 2023, the funding snared from a one-time provincial grant.

TRU was to pay for the other half of the $10-million project and the location of the bridge — about 275 metres north of the intersection with McGill Road — appeared to be set based on engineering studies undertaken in 2012 and 2022.

Last summer, TRU indicated its preference to build about 70 metres north of the intersection with McGill Road.

University vice-president of administration and finance Matt Milovick has since said the institution has no preference on location, but wishes proper due diligence be done.

Marvin Kwiatkowski, the city’s development, engineering and sustainability director, said city staff got word in January that TRU has hired a consultant to complete a third study. He said city staff has not been involved in terms of reference for the study.

TRU expects the study will be completed in April.

Council voted on Feb. 6 to send a letter to the university asking for clarity on the study’s purpose — and to reinforce council’s lack of interest in budging on location.

Fairbairn responded on Tuesday with concerns over safety and increasing traffic in the area, comments that included a tearful reference to recent motor-vehicle accidents that took the lives of TRU staff and athletes.

“If we build it in the wrong location, it will greatly reduce the safety impact,” Fairbairn said.

Fairbairn said burgeoning development in the area needs to be further considered and he cannot recommend the institution spend $5 million on the project until more research is done.

Kwiatkowski noted city staff are not sure what was overlooked in the 2012 and 2022 studies, and said information regarding growth in the area was included.

City councillors directed pointed questions to Fairbairn and the TRU delegation.

They expressed discontent over communication about the new study, asked why two separate studies are not enough and wondered what new conflict may arise from the study.

Milovick told CFJC earlier this month the university will walk away from the deal if the letter was an ultimatum on location.

“To be clear, we did not say by March 1 we need to know whether you’re in or out — or we’re out,” Neustaeter said. “The intention, again, was clarification, to understand this new study, to understand whether moving the overpass was a possibility and to express our position on it.”

Council voted on Tuesday to send another letter to TRU to thank the delegation for its presentation and ask that city staff be involved in the ongoing study and be able to work collaboratively with the university on the project.

Meanwhile, Kamloops Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson asked council on Tuesday to reconsider its decision on Feb. 6 to send the letter to TRU, noting his aim is to help pave the way forward.

“The letter was effective,” Neustaeter said. “TRU has heard us loud and clear about our concerns. I certainly can’t revisit something that has already happened and has yielded the results we wanted.”

The proposal was rejected by council.

by Marty Hastings

Council, TRU clear the air on pedestrian overpass, but project’s future remains foggy

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