Kelowna Construction

[SOSS]

Originally Posted by DKaz

More Interchanges Coming to Hwy 97 in West Kelowna at Boucherie and Westlake/Hudson

They're doing an overall study of the area from Peachland through to the second crossing. I'm with the mayor on this one. Lets wait and see what the study says in the next year before building more interchanges. Damn this government is so road centric and its driving me nuts. Basically they're trying to buy votes for the next election.

[Metro-One]

If this government was as road centric as you say, then long ago we would have had a solid complete freeflow bypass already U/C from south of Peachland to a new second crossing.

Honestly, given how many other bypasses (Vernon, Salmon Arm, east Kamloops, etc...) have been toyed with and have never made it past an idea on paper, I really doubt we will see any Peachland by pass (and West Kelowna by pass to a second crossing) for at least 30 years.

Therefore, may as well upgrade these few intersections with zoning and land already in place for interchange upgrades to help traffic flow between West Kelowna and Kelowna.

Honestly I think an entire freeflow highway running along the valley's west ridge should be built from south of Peachland, connecting to the existing Okanagan corridor for the two interchanges already in place (Connector and the one near the mill) and then again running along the west ridge (by passing West Kelowna) to a seond crossing and further running along the west side of Kelowna (with interchanges) until it connect with the existing Okanagan Corridor near the airport.

But that is a huge project, and our government seems to hate huge road projects outside of the lower mainland, so all we can hope to see is a project like this where the odd interchange is added here or there to an existing road.

[SOSS]

They are road centric. Spending money where the most votes are.
-Port Mann Hwy 1 Upgrades $3.3 billion
-Pitt River Bridge $200 million
-SFPR $1.26 billion
-GMT Replacement Project projected $3.5 billion
-Central Okanagan Planning Study $2 million

[Metro-One]

You missed the "outside of the lower mainland" comment.

All of those except the 2 million dollar study are in the Lower Mainland.

Many regions outside of the Lower Mainland in BC do need major road projects / upgrades, but that is where we never see them. (just small single interchange of a few KM projects here and there).

Hence the mayor in West Kelowna waiting for the new bypass / second crossing will be waiting to probably until after he dies.

[SOSS]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

You missed the "outside of the lower mainland" comment.

All of those except the 2 million dollar study are in the Lower Mainland.

Many regions outside of the Lower Mainland in BC do need major road projects / upgrades, but that is where we never see them. (just small single interchange of a few KM projects here and there).

Hence the mayor in West Kelowna waiting for the new bypass / second crossing will be waiting to probably until after he dies.

Trust me, I grew up in the Okanagan and lived in West Kelowna for many years. I know that comparably limited investment has gone into roads outside of the lower mainland.

I know that a bypass will be decades away but that doesn't change that waiting a year for to review the results of the planing study is not outrageous. The only the federal conservatives, oops, I'm sorry, I mean the provincial liberals want to announce these interchanges is because the next election cycle is very fast approaching. As with everything, its all politics.

[Metro-One]

I would be fine with waiting a year to see what the study says as well if that is all the mayor is asking.

In the meantime an interchange or two could be build near the airport and north where the main alignment will never change.

[SOSS]

Or maybe the Highway 33 Extension (aka Central Okanagan Multi Modal Corridor). That that will require municipal contributions.

[DKaz]

Originally Posted by SOSS

They're doing an overall study of the area from Peachland through to the second crossing. I'm with the mayor on this one. Lets wait and see what the study says in the next year before building more interchanges. Damn this government is so road centric and its driving me nuts. Basically they're trying to buy votes for the next election.

So you're ok with being stuck in traffic every single day from West Kelowna to Kelowna? Especially with all the accidents at the two intersections? Good for you.

The second crossing is 20 years away and the West Kelowna and Kelowna bypass will not be built before that other than the Hwy 33 extension in the next 5 years. They'll build Peachland bypass first because that's critical, there's no room to four lane the road through Peachland and it's a safety hazard in its current form.

[SOSS]

Originally Posted by DKaz

So you're ok with being stuck in traffic every single day from West Kelowna to Kelowna? Especially with all the accidents at the two intersections? Good for you.

The second crossing is 20 years away and the West Kelowna and Kelowna bypass will not be built before that other than the Hwy 33 extension in the next 5 years. They'll build Peachland bypass first because that's critical, there's no room to four lane the road through Peachland and it's a safety hazard in its current form.

I'm saying give it a year. Let the study come out and go from there. You are also assuming the Peachland bypass is a foregone conclusion which it isn't. Name one location that can't be expropriated to expand the highway to 4 lanes?

[SOSS]

A $36-million contract has been awarded to Emil Anderson Construction Inc. for the second phase of six-laning on Highway 97 through Kelowna, increasing capacity and making travel safer along this busy corridor.

“Kelowna and the surrounding communities continue to grow in population, which is why it’s vital to invest in transportation infrastructure to meet increasing demand,” said Premier Christy Clark, MLA for Westside-Kelowna. “With this announcement, the project is taking a major step toward completion.”

“Our design team has been working hard for the past two-and-a-half years to produce a design that meets the needs of the community,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Todd Stone. “We appreciate all the feedback that was received through our public consultation process, and we thank the community for their patience while this important work was being done.”

The expansion and upgrade of over four kilometres of Highway 97 from Highway 33 to Edwards Road will improve safety and efficiency for all users of the highway and better connect Kelowna’s downtown core with surrounding areas. Initial construction on this $60-million project began last year with the realignment of Finns Road, which was completed in December 2015.

“The modifications along with other adjustments to the design were necessary to ensure these improvements best meet the needs of the community,” said Kelowna-Mission MLA Steve Thomson. “We appreciate everyone’s feedback – particularly the City of Kelowna – regarding the widening of this section of highway. These improvements will increase capacity and make travel safer.”

“These long-awaited upgrades to Highway 97 will benefit all of Kelowna. From students heading to and from UBCO, transit users, cyclists and residents of Quail Ridge, Rutland, Glenmore, Ellison and Lake Country, these improvements will provide much needed capacity and improve traffic flow,” said Kelowna-Lake Country MLA Norm Letnick. “As local MLA, I appreciate residents’ patience while we redesigned the project to address significant highway access concerns. It was important to get this right.”

“As the fastest growing region in Canada for the past two years, we’re very pleased to see the Province invest in this transportation infrastructure improvement,” said Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran. “This project will make travel through our city safer and more convenient.”

This $60-million project is a major commitment from B.C. on the Move – the ministry’s 10-year plan. The Province is investing $41.5 million in partnership with $18 million from the federal government through the Building Canada Fund.

Construction is anticipated to commence early this spring with completion in fall of 2017.

Link

[SOSS]

Although I still think a wait and see stance should be taken until the corridor report comes out, the initial plans look pretty good.



Interesting approach for the Hudson/Stevens Rd underpass. Although it sort of sucks for Hudson Rd traffic headed southbound.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by SOSS

Although I still think a wait and see stance should be taken until the corridor report comes out, the initial plans look pretty good.

Will it be significantly different enough from the previous bypass studies to really make an impact on a local scale? And will a bypass reduce commuter traffic enough to justify not building the Boucherie/Westlake interchanges? I am doubtful on both.

[SOSS]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

Will it be significantly different enough from the previous bypass studies to really make an impact on a local scale? And will a bypass reduce commuter traffic enough to justify not building the Boucherie/Westlake interchanges? I am doubtful on both.

Who knows... maybe another year or so the study will answer some of those questions. Fact is, the BC Liberals want some shovels in the ground before the next election and that's why they announced this project now and not after the study gets released.

[DKaz]

Aside from Westbank CIty Centre with the proposed new city hall and other stuff, West Kelowna is suburban sprawl to the max. Westbank First Nation has done a way better job with the urbanization of their lands.

[SOSS]

Originally Posted by DKaz

Aside from Westbank CIty Centre with the proposed new city hall and other stuff, West Kelowna is suburban sprawl to the max. Westbank First Nation has done a way better job with the urbanization of their lands.

I agree that the sprawl is horrendous. A regional district should not be allowed to handle such a large population base. For the region to hit 40,000 before incorporation was a mistake. The figure does not include the 9000 residents on WFNs land. Earlier incorporation or amalgamation with Kelowna would have likely produced a much different looking landscape.

I disagree with your statement regarding WFN doing a way better job. Most housing is single residence. They have overbuilt the commercial space and what is the tallest structure... I think its the wood-frame 4 story residential structures in and around the golf course. Everything built is car centric, just like the rest of West Kelowna.

[DKaz]

Sorry, I meant more urban beautification.

Arguably, Kelowna is pretty bad with urban sprawl too other than their downtown core and bike paths. The Landmark buildings are a pedestrian disaster.

[SOSS]

Originally Posted by DKaz

Sorry, I meant more urban beautification.

Arguably, Kelowna is pretty bad with urban sprawl too other than their downtown core and bike paths. The Landmark buildings are a pedestrian disaster.

Gotcha. Agreed with the exception of what West Kelowna is doing along the waterfront. It's fantastic! Definitely a catch-up game from decades of non-investment.

[Ogopogo Fan]

From: http://www.castanet.net/edition/news...-1-.htm#161507

Tourism Kelowna is about to take the wraps off plans for a new tourist information centre.

A new tourism centre, to replace the current building on Harvey Avenue, would be built on the site of a parking lot at the foot of Queensway Avenue.

That site was proposed after an attempt to relocate the info centre to City Park was loudly rejected by the community.

Council agreed to work with Tourism Kelowna on the feasibility of the site more than two years ago.

It would appear everything is about to come together.

Tourism Kelowna has scheduled a news conference for Thursday morning, at which time plans will be unveiled.

Those plans will include features of the centre, the business case for a new downtown visitor centre and history of the area that makes the site "the right choice for Kelowna."

A rezoning application is expected to come before council soon.

[SOSS]

I like that area. Way better then its current location and closer to the majority of tourism related activities then the earlier City Park proposed location. I bet the Westcorp corp would like to have it there too.

[SOSS]

Wow... $3.5 million is a lot of money. Great location and good looking plan. I like the artist rendering with the new yet-to-start hotel in the foreground.

If all goes according to Tourism Kelowna’s plans, there could be a new addition to the downtown waterfront by next year.

Tourism Kelowna representatives unveiled plans Thursday for a $3.5 million visitor information centre located on the Queensway jetty, which currently is used as a city parking lot. The city would retain ownership of the land, entering a lease agreement with the tourism organization, should rezoning be approved.

“Visitor centres are the front doors to the community,” said Tourism Kelowna CEO, Nancy Cameron, when she presented the plan.

She said the current Visitor Information Centre just isn’t up to snuff, when it comes to welcoming tourists. The fact is, she said, people don’t travel the way they did in the early ‘80s when the centre took up residence on Highway 97.

They don’t roll into the city, make a quick stop at the information booth and choose their accommodation and activities from there. Most make their plans from the comfort of their couch, using the myriad of online tools available.

That change in travelling is being shown through the organization’s internal numbers.

In 2005 there were somewhere in the area of 50,000 visitors a year to the centre. Last year, there were 20,000 and the expectation is that the numbers will continue to dwindle.

“We know that highway located centres across North America are experience rapid declines due to technology and changing usage,” Cameron said.

“We are losing our customers because of this shift...The highway location is the wrong location. Like a hotdog vendor, we have to go to where our customers are.”

And their customers are downtown.

It’s the way tourism centres operate in Portland, Oregon, Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary.

“Think of the Visitor Centre in Victoria’s Inner Harbour. It gets 350,000 visitors every year and we have 20,000 and declining,” she said.

In contrast, the boardwalk area Tourism Kelowna would like to move to gets somewhere in the area of 440,000 passersby a year.

If those people could be directed to tourism locations, the new location could be a boon to the local economy.

“North America-wide Visitor Information centre research shows that walk-ins in primary tourist areas are growing,” she said. “They are still relevant.”

But it’s all about the location.

There will be a lot of community consultation before anything is decided upon. Rezoning applications will likely be before city council sometime in the next few weeks.

And, as the process plays out, questions about whether the centre is in line with what’s required with the Simpson covenant may be raised.

Tourism Kelowna chair Daniel Bibby doesn’t foresee a problem, noting that it keeps with the demands of that document.

Issues about fundraising are also not likely to raise concerns.

“Tourism Kelowna is responsible for raising or borrowing the entire $3.5 million to build the new visitor centre. We are excited to be able to add another beautiful public building to downtown for use by visitors and residents. It will complement the new marina, yacht club, parks and other downtown improvements,” said Bibby.

The board of directors for the organization have approved borrowing of $2.5 million, and they will fundraise for the last

$1 million. The new visitor centre will have a 3,000 square foot footprint at ground level with a partial second floor of 2,000-square-feet. Through extensive use of glass in its construction and increased open public space around the building, views will be respected.

The building will be set back 50 feet from the waterfront on each side of the building. This will be a new public ‘plaza-like’ space and allows for the continuation of the waterfront walkway between Stuart Park and Kerry Park.

“The location was Kelowna’s original point of welcome as an historic ferry landing site and it will once again be used to welcome visitors said Bibby.

Kelowna Capitol News