Highway 97 Traffic = More Studies

[magooron]

Blame the bridge congestion on the lights !!! Of course that's been an issue since before the new bridge . It doesn't take an engineer expert on traffic to have figured this out many years ago . The problem could have been eased many years ago if the so called experts could have seen this issue .
Ron

[dogspoiler]

AND....Hwy 97 is under Provincial jurisdiction, Kelowna has no say in the matter.

I worked on the widening and repaving from the bridge to gordon, it was all run by MOTH.

[magooron]

The Provincial government has known this for years and chose to do nothing , cannot Kelowna inform them of the situation ? I'm stumpified !!!!

[dodgerdodge]

Loved this part of the story, quote:

Findlater also wondered if the ministry was looking at introducing a counterflow lane on the bridge as a way to improve bridge capacity.

A counterflow lane is similar to the system used on the old Okanagan Lake floating bridge, where the traffic direction on the centre lane could be changed depending on traffic volumes.

Sirett said the ministry had not yet looked at that specific option, but indicated it could very well be part of the next portion of the study.

Get rid of an outdated bridge with alternating lanes and spend millions to design a bridge that may have to have alternating lanes. Priceless! And take note Findlater asks this question to help with bridge capacity which the article already states is not an issue, we all know its the lights! Better spend a few mill just to make sure though, report out in 2020.

[WalterWhite]

Loved this part of the story, quote:

Findlater also wondered if the ministry was looking at introducing a counterflow lane on the bridge as a way to improve bridge capacity.

A counterflow lane is similar to the system used on the old Okanagan Lake floating bridge, where the traffic direction on the centre lane could be changed depending on traffic volumes.

Sirett said the ministry had not yet looked at that specific option, but indicated it could very well be part of the next portion of the study.

Get rid of an outdated bridge with alternating lanes and spend millions to design a bridge that may have to have alternating lanes. Priceless! And take note Findlater asks this question to help with bridge capacity which the article already states is not an issue, we all know its the lights! Better spend a few mill just to make sure though, report out in 2020.

Truly - the blind leading the blind...

[casey60]

Can't believe another study. Obviously who suggested that does not live here. Is there no input from CoK on this? Us living here for many many years know what we have to put up with. Instead of another study, have an open house and listen to the people you suppose to serve. Seems like the old ways again, once you are in government you know always better.

[WalterWhite]

Can't believe another study. Obviously who suggested that does not live here. Is there no input from CoK on this? Us living here for many many years know what we have to put up with. Instead of another study, have an open house and listen to the people you suppose to serve. Seems like the old ways again, once you are in government you know always better.

As part of the overall study plans, open houses have been held as recently as last year regarding such topics as the second crossing:

https://engage.gov.bc.ca/okanagansecondcrossing/

[alanjh595]

The one and only positive thing that I can say about the current NDP government {and that was hard to find} is that they are doing all of these studies that will be of benefit to the next government that gets elected. They are pioneers.
The problem with pioneers is that they are the ones that catch the arrows that others learn from. Catch away!

[dle]

Loved this part of the story, quote:

Findlater also wondered if the ministry was looking at introducing a counterflow lane on the bridge as a way to improve bridge capacity.

A counterflow lane is similar to the system used on the old Okanagan Lake floating bridge, where the traffic direction on the centre lane could be changed depending on traffic volumes.

Sirett said the ministry had not yet looked at that specific option, but indicated it could very well be part of the next portion of the study.

Get rid of an outdated bridge with alternating lanes and spend millions to design a bridge that may have to have alternating lanes. Priceless! And take note Findlater asks this question to help with bridge capacity which the article already states is not an issue, we all know its the lights! Better spend a few mill just to make sure though, report out in 2020.

So glad you posted this! I just read these articles 60 years ago we had some MOT brains that said we need to be able to switch the lanes to move with traffic flow. 60 years ago, when there was hardly ANY traffic compared to today, they KNEW that would be the bees knees - and they built it! But when they built the Bennett Bridge in 2008 to replace our golden oldie, 50 years later, when traffic is a nightmare and needs to be kept moving or we grow roots, the architects and/or MOT didn't seem to think that would be of any use - neither would moveable medians apparently. So, any kind of hold-up or accident leaves you stuck, can be for hours. NOW, some 10 years after the new bridge was built, someone is looking back at the old plans from the 50's and thinking "hmmm, they might have been on to something here"....

You gotta love progress eh?

[GordonH]

I posted on top of page 2 in this thread my interpretation of bypass grammafreddy posted many years ago (a rough drawing of the route). viewtopic.php?f=23&t=79341&p=2382134#p2382134
It was shot down by the Kelowna chamber of commerce in fear no one would stop in Kelowna.

[Nedroj]

So glad you posted this! I just read these articles 60 years ago we had some MOT brains that said we need to be able to switch the lanes to move with traffic flow. 60 years ago, when there was hardly ANY traffic compared to today, they KNEW that would be the bees knees - and they built it! But when they built the Bennett Bridge in 2008 to replace our golden oldie, 50 years later, when traffic is a nightmare and needs to be kept moving or we grow roots, the architects and/or MOT didn't seem to think that would be of any use - neither would moveable medians apparently. So, any kind of hold-up or accident leaves you stuck, can be for hours. NOW, some 10 years after the new bridge was built, someone is looking back at the old plans from the 50's and thinking "hmmm, they might have been on to something here"....

You gotta love progress eh?[/quote]

I am a civil tech and worked on the new bridge during its construction. I was under the impression that the walkway portion of the bridge in the future could be removed and added to the travel lanes, so with a bit of shifting could have a full 6 lanes when the need comes. I could be wrong though.

Either way everyone is right, it doesnt take 4 years of university to know where the traffic issues are coming from. We have WAY too many intersections for a major (and only) HWY through the Okanagan. In all reality there needs to be an intersection at Pandosy, Richter, Gordon, Spall, Dilworth/Cooper. All others in this area should be either removed completely or changed so that it only allows traffic to enter onto/ and off the Hwy but not cross it. This change alone would be the best method to improve traffic flow and wouldnt cost near as much as other options. Look at the city of Kamloops (Im not a fan of that city just an fyi) but it has a great hwy system set up so residents, tourists and people simply driving through can get to where they need to go in a relatively quick manner.

Unfortunately the old timers previously in charge lacked progressive forethought and/or wanted to keep Kelowna small so now we essentially have a 6 lane residential road being used as a major Hwy.