Major infrastructure projects are slated to occur down the road in Nakusp.
Village council has decided to move forward with a $2-million culvert replacement project and a $1.49-million water capacity upgrades project.
For the first project, a 40-year-old culvert would be replaced along the entire portion of 1st Avenue.
Village finance officer Mark Tennant said damage occurred last year to the culvert.
“At the beginning of 2019, the culvert backed up and washed out a bit of the bank where it enters into Arrow Lakes,” said Tennant.
“On inspection, we found that the culvert is now in rough shape and needs replacing.”
Tennant noted that sinkholes could also occur along 1st Avenue if the current culvert failed.
The new culvert would be wider and could handle more runoff from snowmelt and intense storms.
To help fund the entire project, council has decided to apply for a provincial and federal infrastructure grant.
Drawing designs will now be made for the culvert and the project could start by early 2022 if the grant is approved.
For the water improvement project, a new well and reservoir will be constructed in the village to help meet water demands.
Village mayor Tom Zeleznik said the nine-unit Arrowtarian seniors housing complex at 206 7th Ave. and the 10-unit affordable townhouse development at 101 1st Ave. N.W. are two developments that will put more demand on the village’s water supply when they open this fall.
To fund the project, $1.19 million will come from the village’s water reserves and surplus while $300,000 would come from a gas tax fund.
The water capacity upgrades project is anticipated to be completed over the next couple years.
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