Stickle Road plan in Vernon evolves again

VERNON – Vernon’s MLA believes the latest Stickle Road plan will be a winner.

It’s the third concept being looked at to improve safety at the intersection of Highway 97 and Stickle Road just north of the city.

Vernon-Monashee MLA Eric Foster says the new plan involves connecting a frontage road along the highway with 20 Street, which hits a dead end behind Rona.

“You can stand in one spot and see both roads, the middle just needs to be joined up,” Foster says.

The frontage road runs parallel to Highway 97 and services several car dealerships. Connecting the two roads will involve cutting through the area around the BX Creek Trail.

The plan, Foster says, would provide drivers wanting to head back into town from Stickle Road with a much safer option than turning left across the lanes of highway traffic. Previous versions of the project involved making the intersection right-in, right-out only which was shot down by local government officials and members of the public.

“I think we’re going to get there with this one,” Foster says.

He says the Ministry of Transportation is drafting up the details and will be meeting with the City of Vernon and North Okanagan Regional District soon.

“Before we take something back out and have everyone upset about it, let’s make sure we have something that will meet the safety requirement — nothing trumps safety — and let’s find a bit of a compromise that will get us where we need to be,” Foster says.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.