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2 clusters · 3 sources · 20 days · First seen · Last updated

Okanagan Highway 97 infrastructure and resilience planning

Overview

In Kelowna, City Council approved a Highway 97 Right-of-Way Protection Plan to preserve a 50-metre corridor for potential future widening and the addition of two transit-only lanes. While the plan aims to guide development and prevent future obstacles, officials noted that large-scale expansion projects could be up to 20 years away.

Following a five-day closure of Highway 97 between Summerland and Peachland that disrupted access to essential services like Kelowna General Hospital, a new petition has been introduced in the B.C. Legislative Assembly. This proposal calls for a secondary transportation corridor in the Okanagan region, potentially utilizing the Kettle Valley Railway corridor to connect Naramata and Kelowna. Proponents argue that a secondary route is necessary to reduce vulnerability to wildfires, rockslides, and accidents that currently isolate the South Okanagan.

Entities

Highway 97 · Kelowna · Ron Cannan · Province of British Columbia · Okanagan

Timeline

  1. 5 days ago

    [POLITICS] 3 sources
    Okanagan transportation corridor proposed following Highway 97 closure

    A B.C. Legislative Assembly petition seeks a secondary transportation corridor in the Okanagan to mitigate regional vulnerability caused by frequent Highway 97 closures.

  2. 25 days ago

    [POLITICS] 4 sources
    Kelowna City Council Approves Highway 97 Right‑of‑Way Protection Plan

    Kelowna council approved a Highway 97 Right‑of‑Way Protection Plan to preserve land for a future 20‑year widening, adding transit lanes while addressing property concerns; the mayor seeks early transparency, a

Sources

castanet.net · keremeosreview.com · vernonmorningstar.com