Ellis St. truck route in Kelowna closes for good

KELOWNA — Good news for many residents and pedestrians on Ellis Street.

As of Thanksgiving Monday, the truck route on Ellis Street shut down permanently.

City council approved the closure of the route last year to reduce industrial traffic through Kelowna’s downtown core and cultural district.

The change is also a part of the city’s 2012 Downtown Plan for a safe and pedestrian-friendly downtown.

Industrial vehicles can instead take advantage of improvements to another truck route in the city.

The Gordon Drive truck route now has a channelized right-turn at Clement Avenue and Gordon Drive.

The eastbound left-turn bay along Harvey Avenue and Gordon Drive has also been extended.

In order to educate truck drivers about the changes, Bylaw Services and the RCMP traffic departments have planned a soft enforcement approach for the short-term.