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The new four-lane portion of Highway 97 from Bentley Road to Okanagan Lake Park
creates a 35-km stretch of continuous four-lane highway from Penticton to Greata Ranch,
just south of Peachland.
“We’re improving Highway 97 right through the Okanagan Valley to meet the needs of
one of the fastest growing regions of the province,” said Bond. “By upgrading this stretch
of Highway 97 to four lanes, we’ve created a safer route for residents, visitors and for
commercial traffic in the Okanagan. I want to say a very special thank you to everyone
who worked so hard to complete this significant project. Without the skill and expertise
of hundreds of workers, this project would not have been possible.”
Construction crews were faced with a significant challenge in October 2008 when a large
fissure was discovered on a rock slope above the highway just north of Summerland. The
highway was closed for 19 days while the site was stabilized. Approximately 55,000
cubic metres of rock had to be blasted from the site.
“This initiative greatly improves the safety of an important stretch of highway,” said
MLA Barisoff. “It was a challenging initiative and I thank the workers for a tremendous
job, and the travelling public and residents of the South Okanagan for their patience.”
The Province partnered with the Government of Canada to fund the Highway 97 Bentley
Road to Okanagan Lake Park initiative. Since 2001, over $900 million has been invested
in upgrading roads, highways, bridges and transit in the Okanagan Valley.
A total of 17 major projects have been completed in the Okanagan Valley since 2001 and
a further 21 projects are underway, with expected completion by the end of 2012.