Conservative MLAs are calling on the province to take immediate action to address issues on Highway 97 in the Okanagan Valley.
On Jan. 29, MLAs Harman Bhangu, Misty Van Popta, Macklin McCall and Amelia Boultbee spoke near the site of a rock slide on the highway north of Summerland.
âHighway 97 is a lifeline for the Okanagan region, carrying over 20,000 vehicles daily, said Banghu, MLA for Langley-Abbotsford and shadow minister of transportation with the Conservatives.
âUnder [Premier David] Ebyâs NDP, it has become a symbol of mismanagement and neglect.â
In August 2023, a rock slide dumped more than 3,000 cubic metres of debris on the highway. The work took close to a year to clear.
The highway has had other issues, including rock slides, in past years, at the same location. These have also resulted in road closures and lengthy detours.
âWe need a comprehensive plan including soil stabilization, fire prevention and road widening to proactively address Highway 97âs vulnerabilities and prevent future disasters,â Van Popta said.
A forest service road which has been implemented as a detour during past road closures is not maintained and is hazardous, she said.
She added that the province is not prepared for other highway emergencies in the region. A recent incident, which left the Bennett Bridge in Âé¶čAV closed for several hours, also affected transportation in the region.
âItâs time for a provincial government that will treat the issue with the urgency it deserves.â
McCall, MLA for West Âé¶čAV-Peachland and shadow minister for emergency management, said the closures have affected Okanagan residents who rely on the highway.
He said the area at the slide is unstable and has been unstable for a long time.
âThe residents of the Okanagan are tired of constant disruptions,â he said. âWith the right leadership, we can ensure Highway 97 is safe and reliable for generations to come.â
While Penticton-Summerland MLA Amelia Boultbee was present at the announcement, she did not present comments on the highway.
In mid-January, the communities of Summerland and Peachland sent a letter to Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth, urging a reliable secondary route between the two communities.
âHighway 97 between Peachland and Summerland has experienced unprecedented impacts due to unplanned closures in recent years,â the letter states.
More recently, Penticton mayor Julius Bloomfield wrote to the province urging an alternate route for the region.
âHighway 97 has been blocked off multiple times in the past 10 years by mudslides, fires, traffic accidents and major rockslides,â he said.
âThe lack of an alternative route is no longer just an inconvenience â it is a fundamental failure of transportation planning that puts thousands of residents, businesses and emergency services at risk.â
