Second Road North

[nihiriju]

So I see some on this thread want a new road so they can leave Penticton to spend money at another location and say this is good for business. Who's business? Not anyone here. So no problem, build the road to the other businesses. Make them pay for it as it benefits them at the expense of businesses here. If your favorite ski hill is Big White that's great for them. Make BW pay for your ease of access to their hill.
More spoiled people wanting everything paid for without any concept of the enormous costs that it would entail. I wonder what kind of debt these people are running? Maybe they're lifestyle is spend today and worry about paying off.....never.

The idea isn't to leave Pentiction, it is to make it more accessible year round. Pentiction is an amazing area with an amazing climate. It just happens to be a retirement community that could use some more activities and amenities to attract a greater diversity of families.

Adding this route would place Pentiction right in the centre of two amazing ski resorts for BC. This would add massively to the local economy and enhance tourism and overall quality of life for those who live here. Those are my hopes anyhow.

Also in reply to some other comments I am an Apex pass holder, but that doesn't mean I don't like to visit other places for skiing too. We could have a perfect match of SkrApex, and Big White out. When one is bad the other is good! In fact my next half cooked idea is for a regional ski pass. If the resorts could ever figure their complex interpersonal relationships out it would be mind blowing to have a pass for Apex, Big White, Baldy, Silver Star, Sun Peaks and maybe Revelstoke. This is common for many regions in Europe and the US, and could possibly be a small step to making skiing more affordable/ appetizing for families.

[JagXKR]

The idea isn't to leave Pentiction, it is to make it more accessible year round.

So a road is going to bring people here? Sorry we will have to disagree completely. There is no economic reasoning to pay for a very expensive road to allow a very small number of people to enjoy it. Many more roads and projects are so far ahead in terms of urgent need that I will be long buried before there is money available to make such a dream.
Won't happen.
BTW, also an Apex pass holder and still waiting for the triple chair to be a quad. This was promised back in the 93/94 ski year. The last year of the double and the poma. It was in their ski brochure.

[nihiriju]

Seems like now is a good time to reconsider this concept. Yesterday during the first rock slide I took the Okanagan Falls FSR over to Kelowna. There were many other motorists doing the same, although a few got lost at some of the intersections without signage. The road was in good condition, but with many icy corners and soft shoulders when traffic is coming two ways.

[GordonH]

Seems like now is a good time to reconsider this concept. Yesterday during the first rock slide I took the Okanagan Falls FSR over to Kelowna. There were many other motorists doing the same, although a few got lost at some of the intersections without signage. The road was in good condition, but with many icy corners and soft shoulders when traffic is coming two ways.

Prior to Okanagan Mt park being established, there was a proposed bypass. Unfortunately Kelowna chamber of commerce killed it, worried potential customers wouldn't stop in Kelowna.
Here is very rough idea of the route (in red):
download/file.php?id=37981

blue line was my idea of a second crossing connecting to the Connector.

[TreeGuy]

Seems like now is a good time to reconsider this concept. Yesterday during the first rock slide I took the Okanagan Falls FSR over to Kelowna. There were many other motorists doing the same, although a few got lost at some of the intersections without signage. The road was in good condition, but with many icy corners and soft shoulders when traffic is coming two ways.

Prior to Okanagan Mt park being established, there was a proposed bypass. Unfortunately Kelowna chamber of commerce killed it, worried potential customers wouldn't stop in Kelowna.
Here is very rough idea of the route (in red):
download/file.php?id=37981

blue line was my idea of a second crossing connecting to the Connector.

How long is your proposed bridge? Or is BC Ferries going to start a new route?

[GordonH]

^^^ The bridge was just thought did not check out actual distance, since the proposal was killed many decades ago. To me it just made sense knowing the Connector was straight across the lake.

[Glacier]

Sound very much like Hwy 24 out of little Fort, you climb over 3,000 ft in first 20 minutes or less.

Perhaps, but they don't have a Hwy 97 alternative as an option.

Oh?

[smoky500]

my 2 cents worth.

They are planning a Peachland bypass that would take off by Greata Ranch. going up the hill and around Peachland, tying in to the connector. (one option)

With the instability and unpredictabilty of the slopes above Hwy 97 now, build a Hwy. through Garnet Valley to Peachland and the connector. Would provide second route and a bypass at the same time. If you look on Google maps there is a natural valley from Summerland through Garnet Valley and straight o to the connector. You can see the forest road along that route in satellite mode.

I know the people living along the road out to Garnet Lake would take issue with this route, but seems easier than building a road from Kelowna to Naramata and upgrading Naramata Rd.

[seewood]

I really doubt any new road other than a Peachland by-pass, will be built for the foreseeable future. The by-pass will likely be hundreds of millions and being pretty much a single access road, I doubt it will be tolled. So, Hundreds of millions has to be found and dedicated to this project.
I don't see a road through Okanagan Mt. Park either. As mentioned, upgrading Naramata road and any feeder roads in Penticton would be a non-starter. If the road went up high and across, you have the rail-trail issues to deal with, not to mention the snow loads that occur at 3000+ feet.

Don't know about pushing an upgraded road through Garnet Valley to Peachland. The initial capital cost and subsequent maintenance, I suspect scares politicians that would make the decision.

[GordonH]

I really doubt any new road other than a Peachland by-pass, will be built for the foreseeable future. The by-pass will likely be hundreds of millions and being pretty much a single access road, I doubt it will be tolled. So, Hundreds of millions has to be found and dedicated to this project.
I don't see a road through Okanagan Mt. Park either. As mentioned, upgrading Naramata road and any feeder roads in Penticton would be a non-starter. If the road went up high and across, you have the rail-trail issues to deal with, not to mention the snow loads that occur at 3000+ feet.

Don't know about pushing an upgraded road through Garnet Valley to Peachland. The initial capital cost and subsequent maintenance, I suspect scares politicians that would make the decision.

Just a heads up here:
The proposed highway/Kelowna bypass (I gave link to) was proposed prior to Okanagan Mt park being established. It was shot down by scared Kelowna chamber of commerce.

[pentona]

Don't know about pushing an upgraded road through Garnet Valley to Peachland. The initial capital cost and subsequent maintenance, I suspect scares politicians that would make the decision.

Anyone who says that the Garnet Valley route is not possible needs to read the following link. It WAS done already and WAS the original roadway for automobiles before the Lakeshore road and highway 97 were built. Not many folks seem to remember this; its a part of our history.

https://summerland.travelmap.guide/brigade-trail

[twobits]

Give it up Pent. This is not a viable bypass to even get past Peachland never mind the "second road north"....the actual topic here is for a road on the east side of Okanagan Lake, not the west.
That proposed route went from Naramata thru to Kelowna through Okanagan Provincial Park.
You folks are all over the map here and not on the same page here.

[pentona]

Give it up Pent. This is not a viable bypass to even get past Peachland never mind the "second road north"....the actual topic here is for a road on the east side of Okanagan Lake, not the west.
That proposed route went from Naramata thru to Kelowna through Okanagan Provincial Park.
You folks are all over the map here and not on the same page here.

Take er easy there twobits. Tis an opinion and I know how you dislike it when posts are deleted. The topic here is a second road North; doesn't specify at first which side of the lake. Two threads could be merged into one really, however.

My comment focused on the fact that there was an original roadway on the West side going thru Garnet Valley to Peachland. Most folks were unaware of that.

[dirtybiker]

Just a heads up here:
The proposed highway/Kelowna bypass (I gave link to) was proposed prior to Okanagan Mt park being established. It was shot down by scared Kelowna chamber of commerce.

To split hairs here, Said rd. through what is now OK Mtn. Pk. was nixed originaly because
of WW2.

The present parking lot up Chute lk rd, and the gate area out Lakeshore, accesses to the park,
and the sections leading from both, were where crews from either end started working toward
the mid point.

The Map GordonH provided was a proposed route many years later, but still along
a portion of the original.

As told to me by a true Kelowna Historian,
https://www.amazon.ca/According-Bill-Ti ... B00309FSGE

A repeat post from pages, and years ago.

[nihiriju]

Proposed second paved route North.

This gives Penticton better economic access to communities North of Kelowna and allows easy access to two destination ski resorts potentially helping boost Penticton's struggling seasonal tourism economy.