Work to upgrade capacity and safety on Hwy 97 at Leckie Rd. coming soon – Kelowna News

Hwy 97 upgrades coming

Rob Gibson | Story: 376526

Photo: Contributed

Watch for road work and lane closures on Highway 97 at Leckie Rd. starting Sunday, July 24th right through until the end of August.

The work will be done overnight, from 7 pm to 7 am on Leckie Rd. east of Highway 97 and is for capacity and safety improvements.

Lane-specific closures and work locations will change as work progresses and motorists should stay alert to dynamic conditions and allow for extra travel time during construction. Motorists are also encouraged to take alternate routes and avoid the area if possible.

Roads will be reopened each morning and businesses can continue to be accessed as usual during the day. Businesses may be accessed during the overnight closures from Baron Rd. and Banks Rd.

According to the City of Kelowna this intersection improvement project has been a collaboration between the City, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, and Costco Development.

The improvements include: a Dual Left turn lane from Highway 97 southbound onto Leckie Rd. in order to add southbound capacity as well as a Smart Right turn lane to increase safety for northbound right turns from Leckie Rd. to Highway 97 across a new bike lane extension. The bike lane on Leckie Rd. is going to be extended to Highway 97, which will complete the bike lane on Leckie Rd. between Highway 97 and the Greenway.

The City of Kelowna has plans to extend the bike lane to Dilworth Dr. which will then connect to the Okanagan Rail Trail.