4-laning planned for Highway 97A

Kelowna Courier Aug 31:
A key section of Okanagan highway north of Vernon will be widened to four lanes by the fall of 2010, thanks to a provincial-federal partnership. Highway 97A will be expanded between Larkin and Crozier roads, an interchange constructed with a roundabout at the ramp terminals, and a new local road will connect the existing highway and the new interchange at a cost of $33.7 million. Highway 97A connects Vernon with Armstrong and then to the Trans-Canada Highway at Sicamous. The widening is from the end of the current four-lane section to the industrial park south of Armstrong. “This funding will not only help promote economic development in this province, but will contribute to the safety of lives and the efficiency of the highway system in British Columbia and the national highway system as a whole,” commented Federal Minister of Public Safety Stockwell Day. “The addition of two new lanes to this section of Highway 97A will reduce delays and improve travel time through this busy area,” added Shuswap MLA George Abbott. “Having new roundabouts will eliminate direct access off the highway, improving the safety of drivers travelling along this route.” “Highway 97 has long been identified as a priority for upgrades, and this investment, along with others we are making along Highway 97 in the Okanagan Valley, will significantly improve the safety of this important transportation route,” said Okanagan-Shuswap Colin Mayes.

“This priority project reflects our government‘s commitment to infrastructure investments, and fosters a stronger economy and a cleaner environment,” said federal Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Lawrence Cannon. The official announcement was made at the nearby Royal York Golf Club in Armstrong. About $12 million will come from the Building Canada Fund and $21.6 million from the province. Federal funding from the $33-billion Building Canada plan ($2.2 billion for infrastructure projects in B.C. from 2007 to 2014) is conditional on the province completing an environmental assessment and consulting with First Nations.