Province moving ahead with more Hwy 97 centre barriers, interchange safety improvements in South Okanagan

Photo: Contributed

Crash on April 22, 2022 Highway 97 between Peachland and Summerland

Highway 97 in the South Okanagan will be receiving some significant upgrades in currently deadly areas, with project timelines estimating construction beginning this year and into early 2023.

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure spoke to the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen on Thursday for a high-level update.

Work is proceeding with an approved protected left-turn lane at the junction of Highway 97 and Highway 3A near Kaleden, but there are slight delays while MOTI waits to receive bids for the project.

“We have sent out tenders for the Kaleden intersection improvements but did not receive bids back. We had originally planned to start that work in June. So we're looking at options for finding ways of delivering that project, because we still have the funding available and want to deliver it as soon as possible,” said Erik Lachmuth, district manager for the Okanagan.

MoTI announced the protected turn lane and the other safety improvements for the intersection in January 2022, after years of complaints, concerns and a petition from local residents, citing many crashes and near misses in the area.

Of the options reviewed for the intersection, the ministry found the protected left-turn lane would have the biggest impact in improving safety and is the most feasible to build.

Lachmuth said the ministry has also secured funding for centre barrier installation extending from Summerland to where the highway becomes two-lanes at Antlers Beach at the south end of Peachland.

“So that is an extension of that important median barrier that we have on the go,” he added.

“We still need to finalize the design and have discussions with property owners. But we intend if all goes well that we may be starting work on that either late this year or early next year.”

After years of lobbying from local politicians and the public amid regular fatal crashes, the government installed centre barriers between Penticton and Summerland in 2020.

The government is now extending those barriers further north, but not into Peachland itself.

“I want to thank the ministry for doing that. There is some intel that was required. I hope they do address that and carry on as far north as they can,” said Penticton MLA Dan Ashton.

Ashton said there is simply not enough room for a centre barrier in the two-lane sections of the highway, which runs from Antlers Beach to the Highway 97C interchange.