Highway 97 between Kelowna and Penticton to be closed regularly over holiday season
Ministry will be working on repairs, stabilisation after August landslide near Summerland
Drivers in the Okanagan are being warned that the main highway connecting Kelowna and Penticton will be closed for 90 minutes twice weekly through the holiday season and into 2024.
The closures along Highway 97, near Peachland, will happen from 11 a.m to 12:30 p.m. PT, according to a news release by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, which says crews will be conducting slope stabilisation and repairs.
The ministry says the days of the work will vary, and is asking travellers to check the website DriveBC.ca for updates, promising 24 hours notice before closures take place.
There are no closures scheduled during peak travel times of Dec. 21-27, nor will there be blasting on Dec. 31 or Jan. 1, though other work may occur.
Highway 97 has been restricted, and at times closed, since Aug. 28 when approximately 3,000 cubic metres of rocks fell onto the road, closing all four lanes near Callan Road and Okanagan Lake Provincial Park.
The closure has caused many headaches for commuters, being the main route connecting people to Kelowna and nearby communities including Summerland, Peachland and Penticton.
No one was injured by the slide but people have had to take forest service roads — or, in one case, paragliding — as a detour for essential travel, adding hours of extra travel time for the weeks the highway was closed.
In an interview with CBC News in August, Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes called the road "the backbone of our region."
"We need it for trade and tourism — it's our lifeline," he said.
Detours are available when needed along Highways 97C, 5A, 3, and 33.