The first phase of the Peachland Transportation Study, has been completed by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
As a result, the ministry has shortlisted three possibilities for diverting Highway 97 around Peachland, after gathering information since 2015.
The project’s goal, when completed, is to reduce travel time and increase road safety for highway users, according to a news release.
The first option, pictured below, involves using the existing highway, adding new infrastructure in an effort to improve safety and easing traffic in the area.
The second option would see highway users diverted west of Peachland altogether, with a significant detour out to McDougald Road on the southernmost portion of the proposed route.
The third and strongest recommended option is similar to the second with the exception of the southern end of the extension, which would be directed closer to Peachland at a lower elevation.
The Ministry of Transportation said the third option is preferred since it is projected to have the least amount of environmental impact and would be the least costly to implement.
Cindy Fortin, Peachland’s mayor, is displeased with the options presented by the ministry.
“To say that we’re disappointed is a mild statement,” she said.
“What we heard from about two-thirds of the community was that they wanted a bypass that went up and around Peachland.”
About the two bypass options presented by the ministry, Fortin said, “it will just destroy the community as far as I’m concerned.”
While the option of expanding the current two-lane highway is still on the table, Fortin says, “it isn’t what we expected either.”
“Dozens and dozens of properties would have to be expropriated,” she said.
The ministry says that phase two is underway, which will consist of more public consultation on the matter.
For more information on this project, visit the Ministry of Transportation’s website.
WATCH: (July 14) Dashcam footage of near miss with cyclists on Highway 97
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