Quote:
Originally Posted by Mazrim
Correct me if I'm wrong, but are you all running on the assumption that this project was already pre-disposed to needing a new bypass built immediately? I haven't followed it closely but it seems like they've narrowed down shorter term changes and the big bypass is still going to happen but only when they can't do anything else to the existing road in ~20 years (maybe sooner if there's more growth than expected). Sounds fine to me?
Don't get me wrong, driving through Peachland in the summer sucks. That doesn't mean they need to do this immediately though.
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It doesn't need to be done immediately, it should have been done 10 years ago.
In all honesty I actually preferred the option of retaining the same general alignment (with a few minor changes) and fully grade separating it than the bypass (since the bypass connects too far west for my liking to the Okanagan Connector)
Key points:
It is the only road connecting the South Okanagan to the North Okanagan in any direct or even remotely direct manor. (all other areas of the Okanagan have at least 2 larger north / south running routes).
It is the only remaining stretch between Vernon and Penticton to be two lanes, which makes it an unnecessary bottle neck and leaves the corridor incomplete.
This project has already been discussed for nearly 5 years now, if not longer.
There are many many many other highway programs and bypasses that have also been shelved recently or phased with completion set for "20 years down the road" which then begs the question, "So, we are just going to build them all at the same time in 20 years? That seems odd and expensive..."
The price for such a project is only going to increase, a lot.
Our current "crisis" is the perfect opportunity to commence such a relatively shovel ready project as this.
Currently there are no major highway upgrades occurring in the entire Okanagan, one of BC's fastest growing and economically important regions (save for maybe a single interchange to commence in a year or so at best) that has underbuilt road infrastructure if compared to nearly any other developed region in the world of similar size. That seems odd to me.
The NDP talk about phasing over decades, but to me I feel such "phasing" should maybe look like this:
From now to 2025: Peachland upgrades with interchanges, the Boucherie Interchange and Winfield upgrades of 97.
2026 to 2030: Further interchange upgrades between Butt Road in West Kelowna and Westlake Road (making the 97 full freeway standard between Butt Road and Abbot Street in Kelowna) along with a rapid bus system along this corridor. At the same time upgrading the UBC access and Airport way to interchanges with some bus improvements.
2031 to 2035: Second crossing built for Kelowna. Further interchange upgrades between the airport and Vernon making the 97 full freeway between the south end of Vernon and UBC plus a true rapid bus system between the Airport to downtown.
2035 to 2040: Figure out how the bypass / go under downtown West Kelowna (now making the 97 essentially a freeway from Summerland to Abbot Street).
2040 and beyond: Finally figure out what to do with the 97 through Kelowna itself / new route.
There.
That is a real 20 year plan that makes the 97 a true freeway from Summerland to Vernon (save for the downtown of Kelowna) that would be fitting for the anticipated population growth (this would still be under built for most areas of Canada, the US, Japan, Europe, etc...) but would at least be adequate and would also allow true rapid bus systems.
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