Photo: Josh Dawson

Crews are working to upgrade the Overlanders Bridge deck and multi-use pathway this summer.

Although improvements are taking place, Overlanders Bridge will always be a bit of a bumpy ride due to necessary expansion joints, according to City of Kamloops staff.

During a council committee meeting on Thursday, Coun. Bill Sarai said he’s heard comments from the public about the condition of bridge lanes that have already undergone rehabilitation work.

“The two lanes that have been completed, there has been some concern from residents and council, as well, that there are still some rough spots on each end of the bridge. We would think they’re not fixed,” Sarai said.

“They seem similar to what was there prior to the work being done.”

The Overlanders Bridge rehabilitation project started in mid-July. Contracted crews are working to address deteriorating surface conditions on the bridge deck at joint locations, as well as on the multi-use path.

Jen Fretz, the city’s civic operations director, said Overlanders Bridge used to have nine expansion joints, and it now has four — and people have been noticing the two joints remaining on each end.

She said the remaining expansion joints are as rough as they will be at this point, and will eventually wear down.

“The metal and concrete components are higher right now than they will be over time, because things wear down over time,” Fretz said, adding hot temperatures are also pressing the materials closer together than they will be in periods of cooler weather.

She said the city approached the contractor about the expansion joints after hearing comments from the public.

“We went through this very much in detail with the contractor because of the concerns that we have heard, just to really understand what is going on there,” Fretz said.

The five mid-span expansion joints have been removed and paved over, but the city can’t get rid of those that remain.

“Unfortunately, because our bridge was built in 1960 and isn’t a beautiful cable-stayed bridge like you would see in the Lower Mainland, there will always be the need for expansion joints,” Fretz said.

She said the expansion joints will “get better from here” until the next round of rehabilitation work is needed.

“The bridge is the best that we can make it right now, knowing that those expansion joints — two south, two north — will definitely get better over time.”

Crews are working through the second phase of the bridge rehabilitation project, which involves closing the two southbound bridge lanes.

The Overlanders Bridge project is expected to wrap up in mid-October.