Coming improvements to Highway 97 through Peachland is good news to district council, but there are still concerns about speed limits.
A Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) delegation presented the Central Okanagan Integrated Transportation Study to council at its March 14 meeting.
Council heard that detailed design is underway to eventually install traffic signals for Trepanier Road and the highway.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 many, many millions of dollars to fix that intersection,sa国际传媒� said Steve Sarret, executive director MOTI Southern Interior. sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e not just talking about a signal, wesa国际传媒檙e talking about access improvements and improvements at other intersections as well.sa国际传媒�
No timeline was given for work to begin. A protected sa国际传媒楾sa国际传媒� intersection at Renfrew Road has also been identified as a ministry priority.
Coun. Keith Thom brought up concerns about speed limits on the highway.
sa国际传媒淲e have this sort of speed up, slow down, speed up, slow down throughout the town. It would just make sense to me to have slow down as the priority.sa国际传媒�
Thom added council recently turned down a housing development due to safety concerns about accessing the highway.
READ MORE: sa国际传媒榃e have concerns about the safety of our highwaysa国际传媒�: Peachland CAO after fatal crash
Mayor Patrick Van Minsel noted that in a meeting with MOTI Minister Rob Fleming, speed limits from Princeton Avenue to Antlers Beach might be considered for reduction.
sa国际传媒淭o bring it down and also help us with access to the highway with developments that are proposed there,sa国际传媒� added Van Minsel.
Development along the route was also a concern for Coun. Doug Collins.
sa国际传媒淗ighway 97 in its current form through Peachland is stifling economic development,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淗ere we are with development applications and wesa国际传媒檙e worried about the safety of that and so are the residents.sa国际传媒�
Collins added that having the ministrysa国际传媒檚 help in addressing those challenges would benefit the community and also to satisfy the provincial mandate to increase housing.
A bypass route, above Highway 97, is still on the table but is part of a longer-term plan, closer to 2040, according to Sarret.
Mayor Van Minsel also told council that money is coming soon from MOTI to help complete the Westside Trail, connecting Peachland to West Kelowna and out the W.R. Bennett Bridge.
gary.barnes@kelownacapnews.com
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