Photo: Contributed - Google Street View

Senior levels of government came together Thursday to announce funding for further widening of Highway 97 through Kelowna.

The announcement means 4.5 kilometres of the highway between Highway 33 and Edwards Road will be widened from four lanes to six.

Intersections along the same stretch will also be upgraded.

The project will cost $50.2M with the feds picking up $18M and the province the other $32.2M.

Federal funding is contingent on the project meeting all of the requirements under the Building Canada Fund and the signing of a contribution agreement with the province.

"This $50M project will build on the improvements done to Highway 97 through Kelowna over the last number of years," says Kelowna Lake-Country MLA, Norm Letnick.

"This work will improve traffic flow at the northern entrance to the city and make for more efficient and safer connections to UBCO, Quail Ridge, Rutland, Glenmore, Ellison, Lake Country and beyond for motorists, cyclists and transit users."

Construction is expected to begin in 2014 with a completion date of fall, 2016.

Once the work is complete, Highway 97 will be completely six laned from the William R. Bennett Bridge to Edwards Road.