KELOWNA – Plans to widen a main road in the old Glenmore area of Kelowna are being met with a lot of opposition from area residents.
The city is planning to widen Clifton Road between Clement and Lambert Avenue from two lanes to four this summer.
But many residents call the project dangerous and ill conceived.
One of the issues locals are concerned with is that left turns onto Clifton will only be allowed at controlled intersections. That means drivers coming from side roads will have to turn right and make a lengthy detour to get back down to Clement.
Local residents say not only will this be inconvenient but it will increase traffic on quiet streets throughout the neighborhood as drivers take short cuts to get onto Clement.
Residents say a new development going up on the corner of Clifton and Clement will only add to the traffic congestion in the area.
The city held an open house last night to show residents the design plans. It brought out many residents who wanted to express their concerns to city staff.
One of the other concerns residents have is the lack of controlled crosswalks across a busy Clifton Road. They say the design plans need more crosswalks.
“We have children that live on either side of the street and have to cross there every day and four lanes of traffic to negotiate is frightening,” says one resident.
City staffers are collecting feedback from residents for consideration but admit they won’t be making every change that’s been suggested.
“We take the information here and then we rank it and look at different options what we can do to help but some changes will be made, some changes won’t. That is just the nature of these sessions,” says City of Kelowna’s Purvez Irani.
The city hopes to start construction in August.
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