Ministry Of Transportation
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Government paves over safety feature because of ‘noise complaints’
OYAMA - The Ministry of Transportation is removing a safety feature on the new highway in Lake Country to spare nearby residents an associated rumbling sound. Rumble strips, the grooved edges found on most highways, were installed on the new $78-million section of Highway 97 through Oyama but it seems the feature had an unpleasant...
Safety measures sought for dangerous stretch of Highway 97
LAKE COUNTRY - In the aftermath of two fatal accidents, officials in Lake Country are calling for the addition of a concrete median between Beaver Lake Road and the Kelowna Airport. In July, an elderly couple and a 14-year-old passenger believed to be their grandson were fatally injured after crossing the centre line and colliding...
Ministry of Transportation can expect a letter of opposition from Coldstream council
VERNON - The Ministry of Transportation is getting no support from the District of Coldstream regarding proposed changes to Cosens Bay Road. Coldstream council voted unanimously to send a letter to the Ministry stating its opposition to land being removed from Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park so improvements can be made to Cosens Bay Road. Coldstream...
Attention drivers: Highway 97 construction set for this month
VERNON - Construction begins Tuesday night on a notoriously dangerous stretch of Highway 97, and that means drivers could see some delays. The Ministry of Transportation is adding $5 million worth of concrete median barriers to separate four lanes of traffic on 11 kilometres of highway between Vernon and Kelowna. The work begins Tuesday night...
Community packs open house for future of Kal Park
VERNON - A Ministry of Transportation open house about removing land from Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park drew supporters and opposers, though no one seemed to be changing their mind on the project. The open house was designed to provide more information about the Ministry’s proposal to exclude a 30-meter right-of-way from the park to allow...