B.C. Chamber calls for wider Okanagan highways, new bypasses, second crossing
One of the province's largest business lobby groups is calling on all levels of government to address traffic problems in the Okanagan.
The B.C. Chamber of Commerce produced a policy paper earlier this year calling for a wider Highway 97 and a second crossing of Okanagan Lake, among others.
Truckers and commuters are becoming increasingly more frustrated by clogged transportation arteries throughout the region, according to the policy paper titled Accelerating transportation infrastructure to serve one of the fastest-growing regional economies in Canada 2022.
“Unfortunately, responsibility for transportation is highly fractured; all levels of government retain some responsibility over the transportation system and as such all must recognize the absolute necessity of integrated long-term planning that addresses both the movement of people and products,” it says.
“This fragmented approach to planning may be one of the factors fuelling the stalled discussions around a second crossing of Okanagan Lake and bypass routes around major metropolitan areas.”
It says Highway bypass routes are needed for Peachland, Kelowna, and Vernon, and a second crossing would benefit "the rapidly growing cities" of Kelowna, West Kelowna, Peachland and Lake Country.
READ MORE: Transit, not a second crossing, is the solution for Central Okanagan's bridge, highways: planners
The paper points out the Okanagan is one of the fastest-growing regions in Canada, and says if transportation issues are not dealt with in a timely manner, then growth and prosperity will be limited and minimized.
Highways impacted by population growth are 97, 97A and 97B, it says, and significant provincial investment is needed.
"Efficiently moving people and goods is essential for economic growth and for building a prosperous future for the province, its communities and its citizens."
The B.C. Chamber says local governments give much of their attention to the issue of individual mobility, whereas the movement of goods gets very little attention.
The need for interconnectivity was proven after several major highways were severed due to slides and flooding in November 2021, the paper says.
It also points out how the W.R. Bennett Bridge is expected to reach its capacity of 80,000 vehicles per day by 2040.
READ MORE: Central Okanagan MLAs see need for second Okanagan Lake crossing
One of the B.C. Chamber recommendations is the establishment of a multi-lane highway that spans the entire Okanagan
The paper also calls for grade-separated interchanges along Highway 97, and for Highway 3 to be widened and straightened.
“At present, (Highway 3) is one of the ten least safe roads in the province due to its narrow twists and turns.”
And while congestion at the Peace Arch border crossing in White Rock may not be an issue for motorists in the Okanagan, the B.C. Chamber says the province can help ease it by providing viable alternatives for entering the U.S. from the Interior, and is asking the province to work with Washington State and the federal government to make it happen.
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