Work will soon begin on the restructuring of a notorious North Okanagan intersection.
The intersection of Stickle Road and Highway 97 – scene of a number of traffic accidents and near-record submissions to The Morning Star’s Letters to the Editor page – is being upgraded to improve safety and traffic flow through the region.
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“Highway 97 is an essential connector for people in the area, and for too long there have been safety concerns and mounting congestion issues at this busy intersection,” said Claire Trevena, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “The work we are doing should relieve some of those problems. We’re also determined to respect and maintain the habitat of the nearby creek and wetlands.”
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Work to improve the safety of the intersection, which is expected to be completed in fall 2018, will include:
* Converting Stickle Road at Highway 97 to a left-in, right-in and right-out intersection;
* Lengthening the northbound and southbound left-turn lanes on the highway; and
* Providing right-turn acceleration and deceleration lanes at the east and west approaches.
Okanagan Aggregates Ltd., from Armstrong, was awarded the contract to reconstruct the intersection, which has seen a significant number of crashes in the past 10 years.
The $15-million project will also include an extension of 20th Street, connecting it to the south end of the existing Stickle Frontage Road. While pre-load work on this section has already begun, it will not be completed until later in 2019, depending on soil settlement.
Significant environmental work was completed along the 20th Street extension ahead of construction, including relocation of fish and amphibian habitats in BX Creek. The ministry is also working with Ducks Unlimited to develop a new wetland habitat that is three times the size of the one that will be affected by the project.
During construction, two lanes of traffic will be maintained in each direction during the day. However, motorists can expect some delays, and are reminded to obey construction speed zones and follow traffic control at all times.
No official start date was announced for the project.
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