New South Perimeter road in Kelowna will improve safety; won’t do much for traffic jams

KELOWNA – South Perimeter Way will go ahead in the Mission but residents who think the new road is going to solve the area’s notorious traffic problems may be waiting a while.

“Unfortunately, I don’t see this as alleviating or solving the (traffic) problem on Lakeshore and Gordon,” development engineering manager James Kay said.

The new South Perimeter Way was approved last week using the alternative approval process. Just 120 Kelowna residents officially opposed the plan, which will see South Perimeter Way brought forward by over a decade on the city’s construction schedule.

Once complete, the two-lane road will ultimately connect the end of Gordon Drive with Stewart Road West.

Kay said current modeling shows a portion of drivers will use the new road to get out of the Mission, essentially driving south to go east and avoid the morning and afternoon rush hours on Gordon Drive and Lakeshore Drive.

“There are studies showing how to improve those two corridors but this wasn’t it,” Kay said. “But this will take some of the pressure off those two peak hours."

Ironically, improvements to Lakeshore Drive will be pushed back as South Perimeter Way is moved up the list.

As much as anything, South Perimeter Way is another way to help residents evacuate the Mission during an emergency, Kay added.

“Egress is part of this. While traffic is one aspect, the safety aspect of protecting residents against fires, of being able to move people out on a different route, that’s an aspect of this that is very positive,” Kay said.

He said development in the Mission is proceeding faster than anticipated, with a significant number of people expected to move into the South Kelowna area in the next few years.

Despite this growth, Kay said he’s not heard of plans to add a fourth crossing of Mission Creek.

Property developer Ponds Ventures Inc. is behind the accelerated road construction. It has agreed to finance the road which and will be paid back through development cost charges collected in the area.

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