Construction planned for Okanagan Rail Trail for most of September

VERNON – Parts of the Okanagan Rail Trail will be under construction for most of September to allow for work to take place to mitigate erosion.

The Regional District of North Okanagan said in a media release, Aug. 22, the work will see some areas of the trail reduced to one-way pedestrian and biking traffic, with no access to certain portions of the trail for up to 10 hours at a time. The work is due to start after the Labour Day long weekend and be finished by Sept. 30.

However, the trail will be open and accessible in the evening by 5 p.m. and every weekend.

The Regional District said the work taking place will mitigate erosion to the trail caused by the lake and that previous flooding has damaged and significantly eroded the Okanagan Rail Trail.

"Every wave that touches the side of the path takes sand and materials with it, and over time, the pathway becomes narrower," states the media release. "The erosion is an immediate threat to the longevity of the Okanagan Rail Trail.

The Regional District would have liked to have given the public more notice, but after several years working to secure a permit to conduct the work the permit was issued Aug. 21 giving a window for the work to be done between Sept. 1 and Sept. 30. The timeline means the construction will not impact Kokanee salmon runs in Kalamalka Lake.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Ben Bulmer or call (250) 309-5230 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.