Construction will begin in 2014 to widen Highway 97 between Edwards Road and Highway 33 to six lanes from the existing four lanes.
Kelowna Lake Country MP, Ron Cannan, joined Mayor Walter Gray, minister Steve Thomson and Agriculture Minister and MLA for Kelowna Lake Country, Norm Letnick for the grand unveiling on Thursday.
"Basically from Highway 33 at Costco up to Edwards Road will be widened from four lanes to six lanes, this will help to ensure that traffic moves swiftly and efficiently through this stretch of Kelowna," says MP Ron Cannan.
The much needed improvements are expected to relieve congestion and improve traffic flow through Kelowna while better connecting the downtown core with the UBC Okanagan Campus.
Total cost of the project is estimated at roughly $50.2 million dollars with $18 million coming from the Federal government and $32.2 million from the Provincial Government.
"A big part of this project, of course, will be the re-alignment of Rutland Rd. North so it doesn't all jam in to one place," says MLA Norm Letnick.
Construction is slated to begin sometime in 2014 with completion set for 2016.
Photo: (L-R) The Hon. Steve Thompson (Minister of Forests, Lands & Natural Resources), The Hon. Norm Letnick (MLA Kelowna-Lake Country & Minister of Agriculture), The Hon. Ron Cannan (MP Kelowna-Lake Country), Kelowna Mayor Walter Gray.
Photo Credit: Craig T. Power, AM1150 News