# Okanagan Highway 97 infrastructure and resilience planning

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/okanagan-highway-97-infrastructure-and-resilience-planning
> Updated: 2026-08-17T20:10:48.000Z. Sources: 3. Developments: 2.

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.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-17: 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.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/okanagan-transportation-corridor-proposed-following-highway-97-closure

### 2026-07-29: 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

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/kelowna-city-council-approves-highway-97-rightofway-protection-plan

---
Cite as: Okanagan Highway 97 infrastructure and resilience planning. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/okanagan-highway-97-infrastructure-and-resilience-planning