By Cheryl Jahn

Reid Street In Quesnel A Challenge

Jul 23, 2018 | 2:59 PM

QUESNEL – Reid Street in Quesnel looks like the Wild West, when the streets were nothing more than dirt trails. It’s all part of a $6.1 million project.

“The core project is replacing a 1952 water main over the three blocks of our main retail sector,” explains Quesnel Mayor Bob Simpson, who adds the second element to the project is reconnecting all the businesses along Reid Street to the new water main.

It means Reid Street is closed to all vehicular travel. So some, the lack of access has been trying.

“Honestly, it’s a struggle. It’s a struggle,” says Mitchell Virk with the Downtown Business Improvement Association. “Some businesses are worse off than others. But can say broadly that every business is affected.”

The BIA does have access to funds from the Rural Dividend Fund as a stop gap. And Virk says businesses know it is short-term pain for long-term gain.

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“We’re just really looking forward to the end of the project because it’s going to be beautiful,”  says Virk.

Mayor Simpson is putting a positive note on the impacts.

“We believe at the end of the project, any losses that the would have incurred over the duration of the project will probably come back because we’ll have September, October. People will want to come down and see [Reid Street], people will realize how good it is and we think that the businesses will recoup.”

The contractor has until September 22nd to be finished but traffic will be allowed back on Reid Street by mid-August.