Cyclists on the Okanagan Rail Trail summer 2018.
(BEN BULMER / iNFOnews.ca)
October 03, 2020 - 10:50 AM
Erosion mitigation work is ongoing for the Okanagan Rail Trail which is set to reopen in time for Thanksgiving weekend.
The Regional District of North Okanagan will reopen the northern section of the Okanagan Rail Trail before the Thanksgiving long weekend that begins Oct. 10.
Before it can reopen, the full closure will extend to the Kickwillie entrance to allow crews to improve accessibility and enhance safety for trail users utilizing the Westkal parking lot.
Starting Oct. 5, the entrances at Kickwillie and Westkal will be inaccessible, with the entire north section reopening Oct. 10, according to the regional district's press release.
READ MORE: Okanagan Rail Trail partial closures coming for erosion mediation work
The regional district began its fall 2020 erosion mitigation project Sept. 21 and since the work involved excavating and rebuilding sections, a full closure of kilometre four to km 12.5 was necessary along the trail.
Since the Okanagan Rail Trail runs alongside lakes, it is expected that erosion maintenance work will occur throughout the life of the trail.
Construction of the public washrooms at the Kickwillie entrance to the trail will continue after the erosion project is complete, so parking will remain limited at the Kickwillie Loop and Westkal Road trail entrance, according to the press release.
The washrooms are expected to be finished by the end of the year. Trail users are encouraged to park at the parking lot at Coldstream Station, 16506 Kalamalka Road, throughout the washroom construction.
READ MORE: Construction to start on new $220K Okanagan Rail Trail washroom
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