Wake up Vernon (THE REAL WESTERN BYPASS)

Aug 01 2007 http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/

At a recent Okanagan Partnership workshop, we were informed that the bypass on the west side of Okanagan Lake above Westbank, Westside Road, the Okanagan Indian Reserve and coming out at O’Keefe siding, which is situated at the top of St. Anne hill on Highway 97, was a dead issue. Even our Vernon planning department will tell you that truck freight will come through Vernon because all of the warehouses are on this side of the bridge. But think about it. Doesn’t this make sense, having all through traffic away from the towns? Otherwise, Vernon will be condemned forever with highway traffic creating unwanted and unneeded emission pollution and us having to crawl through Oyama, Winfield, Rutland and Kelowna traffic to get to the Connector or points in the South Okanagan. Vernon already has inadequate alternate east/west or north/south routes in town.

Also, there is discussions of a California/Alaska Highway 97 corridor to truck fruit and vegetables from those southern areas up to Alaska. Does the western bypass or 27th Street extension make any sense when this option was surveyed back in the 1950s? And do you realize that Kelowna’s answers to future congestion is to build another bridge around Poplar Point which is just north of the Grand Hotel? Does that make any sense to us who have to try and make our way to the Connector or Penticton? If you want Kelowna to keep pushing to be the hub of the Okanagan and your children to see the ugly, smelly scar of a six- or eight-lane highway through Vernon then ignore this letter. If not, then start now by putting pressure on the local, provincial and federal governments to push for the west side of Okanagan Lake bypass.

Joanne Georgeson (Letter to editor posted with permission of author)
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Don Quixote Note: This is the real western bypass that I suggested durning the last civic election. If it hadn't being for Wacky Bennett this would have been the route taken back in the 50's and our traffic problems would not be as they are now.