The Highway 97 and Leckie Rd intersection has been improved with a new dual left-turn lane and a smart right turn lane. The construction to improve capacity and safety took place from July until September.
“These safety and functional improvements were completed to allow the community to move easier through one of the busiest areas of Kelowna,” said Brian Beach, Infrastructure Delivery Department Manager. “We worked with the contractor to have construction and paving occur during the night and off-peak hours to minimize disruptions to residents’ daily commutes; roads were reopened each morning and businesses were accessed as usual during the day.”
The dual left-turn lane from Highway 97 onto Leckie Road adds southbound capacity and improved safety, while the smart right turn lane increases safety for northbound right turns from Leckie Rd to Highway 97 across a new Active Transportation Corridor extension. A smart right turn introduces a raised concrete apron for trucks to make wide turns while encouraging regular vehicle traffic to approach more perpendicular to the highway for safer “over the shoulder” sight lines.
This intersection improvement project was a collaboration between the City of Kelowna, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Costco Development.
“Capital projects such as this are an important part of ensuring Kelowna has vibrant urban centres, a balanced transportation network and an inclusive community,” said Beach. “We are appreciative to have worked with the Costco Development and Ministry to help us successfully complete this important project.”
Visit Kelowna.ca/cityprojects to learn more about other capital projects happening around Kelowna.