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Ministry Of Transportation

Province changes date for open house on Stickle Road intersection improvements plan

VERNON - There’s a new date for an upcoming open house on proposed changes to the Stickle Road intersection in Vernon. Ministry of Transportation staff will present their second plan for the intersection at Highway 97 after the first was scrapped back in May. The open house was originally set for July 30, right before the long...

Province to review bus industry after two Coquihalla crashes

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Two major bus crashes in the last year resulted in serious injuries and now the provincial government is moving forward with a safety review on the motor coach industry. Minister of Transportation Todd Stone says the review will include examining safety statistics, analyzing vehicle inspections and vehicle licensing. It will also compare the...

Province’s new Stickle Road proposal fails to impress Vernon officials

VERNON - Better, but not good enough is the message Vernon council sent to the Ministry of Transportation during a presentation about a new idea for improving the Stickle Road intersection. Plans for a right-in, right-out only access to and from Stickle Road on Highway 97 just north of the city were scrapped in May...

Old Western Star plant could soon meet the wrecker’s ball

KELOWNA - The last vestiges of Western Star Trucks, a manufacturing success story in Kelowna, could soon be meeting the wreckers ball. Owner of the site on Enterprise Way, 3752 Investments Ltd., has applied for a permit to raze the former Western Star truck and replace it with a Lowes home improvement store and garden...

Changes coming to Highway 1; Pritchard interchange opens Wednesday

PRITCHARD - After more than a year of construction, the Pritchard interchange is set to open this week. On Wednesday morning, traffic will begin using the new Pritchard interchange, located approximately 40 kilometres east of Kamloops. The new interchange is part of the upgrade of Highway 1 between Kamloops and the Alberta border to four...

Paving project set for Highway 6, Mabel Lake Road

LUMBY – Millions of provincial tax dollars will be spent on paving projects in parts of Lumby this summer. The province announced today close to 75 kilometres of roadway in the area will get repaved. Work is to start sometime in June on Highway 6 and Mabel Lake Road with the $8.9 million project expected...

Vernon council not happy with provincial government over Stickle Road plan

VERNON - Elected representatives refuse to keep quiet about their concerns around a Ministry of Transportation initiative to modify the Stickle Road intersection at Highway 97 in Vernon. Not only does local government disagree with the plan, which would see the intersection changed to right in, right out only (municipalities want a traffic light instead)...

First Nation protests as highway widening moves forward

CHASE - Despite support from First Nation leadership, not all band members are in favour of the second phase of construction the widening of the Trans-Canada Highway near Chase. Robin Billy, chief of the Adams Lake First Nation in Chase, says he’s not aware of how many people are standing in protest of the provincial...

Highway roundabout in Sicamous goes to open house

SICAMOUS - Plans for proposed highway improvements that could see a roundabout installed on Highway 97A in Sicamous will be presented to the public later today. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will present the project, which includes a roundabout at Highway 97A and Main Street, as well as intersection improvements at the highway and...

Province announces major changes to deadly Vernon intersection

VERNON - The Ministry of Transportation has proposed a controversial plan to make the intersection of Stickle Road and Highway 97 in Vernon less dangerous. The $3-million initiative would eliminate risky, left hand turns onto the highway and allow only right hand turns onto Stickle and 97, forcing drivers to take Pleasant Valley Road back...

UPDATE: Highway 3 reopens following car crash

HEDLEY – Highway 3 between Keremeos and Princeton has reopened after a two-car crash this morning. The crash happened about one kilometre west of Hedley at around 8 a.m., April 25. The highway opened to single-lane traffic around noon and both lanes were open at about 2:15 p.m. Unconfirmed reports say two people were taken...

UPDATE: Highway 6 near Needles ferry reopens

VERNON - The section of Highway 6 on the way to the Needles ferry dock closed for repairs following a mud slide and the appearance of a sink hole over a month ago ihas reopened. The Ministry of Transportation says the work on the new drainage installation and rebuilding of the section of road about...

Driving through Monte Lake about to become safer

MONTE LAKE - New signs and markings will be installed this spring in an effort to make Highway 97 at Monte Lake safer to drive. The Ministry of Transportation announced Friday, March 20, that vehicle-activated LED arrow signs will be installed at the north and south ends of the corridor. A driver entering the curve...

Silver Star Road, voted worst in B.C., is getting a facelift

VERNON - B.C.’s worst road is getting some love from the provincial government. Silver Star Road in Vernon, voted number one in BCAA’s 2014 worst roads survey, is one of the items listed in a 10-year transportation plan released by the province. Sometime in 2015, the road will be resurfaced as part of an initiative...

Highway upgrades near Kamloops top key provincial priorities

KAMLOOPS - Upgrades to Highway 1, Highway 5, cycling infrastructure and rest areas are among the many items listed in the recently released 10-year provincial plan. The Ministry of Transportation released the 10-year transportation plan, B.C. on the Move, this week. The plan outlines 12 key priorities, from improving highway safety and investing in transit...

Spences Bridge loses its bridge

SPENCES BRIDGE – The old Spences Bridge has finally been dismantled after its closure more than a year ago.  Representatives from the Ministry of Transportation had originally agreed to close the bridge off to vehicles but keep it open so foot traffic and bicycles from the neighbouring community could cross the Thompson River. However, after...

You’ve been saying ‘MOVE THE F&#@ OVER!’ and the government listened

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Signs telling drivers to stay right except when passing have graced B.C. highways for years but after community feedback suggested slow drivers were still dawdling in the passing lane the province has opted to give RCMP officers more ways to crack down. Following a study and public survey, the Ministry of Transportation announced...

Transportation Minister moved to tears by letter from girl whose family died in car crash

KAMLOOPS – Transportation Minister Todd Stone says his ministry is responding to the concerns of a seven-year-old girl who made highway improvement suggestions after her family died in a car crash near Lillooet earlier this month. Stone was reminded of the latest high priority section of Highway 12 earlier this week when he received a...

Get ready for new Kelowna HOV lane rules

KELOWNA - There are some new rules to follow if you're driving Highway 97 through Kelowna, starting January 19. The High Occupancy Vehicle lanes will transition to time-of-day operations. From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday excluding holidays, the HOV lanes must be observed. At all other times, the lanes will be available...

Barricades planned for deadly stretch of Hwy 97

LAKE COUNTRY – A dangerous stretch of Highway 97 where a woman died following a head on collision Sunday is getting some attention from the Ministry of Transportation. “That incident over the weekend was terrible and our thoughts are with the friends and family of the people affected,” says Ministry spokesperson Murray Tekano. “It’s really...

Major flood hits Kingfisher community

ENDERBY - A road, a bridge, and a community’s link to the nearest city was swept away by a barrage of water and debris Friday. About 300 feet of Mabel Lake Road near the Kingfisher Interpretive Centre is gone. So is the bridge over Cook Creek. In its place is a massive debris field of...