Crews were busy on Friday cleaning up debris from yet another crash on a deadly stretch of Highway 97 near Vaseux Lake.
On Thursday afternoon, a semi full of peat moss rolled over after it went into a hairpin turn too fast.
While no one was hurt, the same cannot be said for other motorists who have crashed recently.
Over the past few months, there have been two deaths near the same stretch of road by the lake.
“This is arguably the worst section of Highway 97 between the American border in the south and the American border in the Alaskan north,” said Area D Director Bill Schwarz.
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Officials say this portion of highway has been a problem for decades and as the population grows, congestion and speed has gotten worse.
“For decades, that corner has been one that is a concern to everybody,” said Cpl. Bryce Pederson of the South Okanagan Highway Patrol. “It’s a high crash area for us. It represent for our unit 60% of crashes.”
Even though there are several new add-ons like barricades and warning signs, officials agree a more concrete solution is needed.
Officials are considering straightening the highway, which would mean blasting a portion of the rockface near the hairpin turn.
The plan has been in the works for years but with the recent crashes, changes could be coming sooner rather than later.
Penticton MLA Bill Barisoff said finding funds for projects is always tough but adds he will be taking up this issue, along with fellow MLA John Slater, to Minister of Transportation Blair Lekstrom next week.
“We will talk to him to see if anything else to be looked at. The drawings and engineering things are done, it is a matter of making a decision,” said Barisoff.
“This should be an emergency project,” said Schwarz. “It’s an expensive proposition, yes, but not a difficult proposition.”
While politicians seek funding for changes to the highway infrastructure, authorities say there is another low cost and effective way to reduce deaths: slow down.
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