November 17, 2009
Plans to Improve Highway 97A Underway

SALMON ARM – Tender has been issued for the construction of a new four kilometre, four-lane stretch of Highway 97A, from Pleasant Valley Cross Road to Lansdowne Road, to improve safety and travel times.

“Drivers will benefit from the construction of this new section of Highway 97A,” says Shuswap MLA George Abbott.  “The work will address safety by adding two lanes and improving sight lines. Additionally, traffic flow will be smoother thanks to improvements at Smith Road and several other intersections.”

The section of Okanagan Highway 97A to be reconstructed is adjacent to the City of Armstrong and within the Township of Spallumcheen, 16 km north of Vernon.  The tender is expected to be awarded before Christmas with work commencing in the new year.

The construction includes 4 km of four-lane widening with 2.5 metre shoulders, flush median and rumble strips. Intersection functionality at Smith Road will be improved by constructing a protected tee intersection with an acceleration lane in the northbound direction.  There will also be improvements to intersection geometry, sight lines, left turn bays and deceleration lanes at five other intersections.

The project is funded under the Province’s three-year, $14-billion capital infrastructure program that will create up to 88,000 jobs and help build vital public infrastructure in every region of B.C.

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