When Hwy 97 shuts down between the Central and South Okanagan, motorists are essentially left stranded.
The two available detours around a Hwy 97 closure in that area are via Hwy 3, Hwy 5A and Hwy 97C or via Hwy 3 and Hwy 33.
Both routes add around two hours of travel time to what is typically an hour-long trip, which leaves many motorists opting to take forest service roads instead.
It’s a bumpy ride that’s only really available to passenger vehicles during the warmer months and certainly isn’t suitable for any kind of commercial traffic.
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Hwy 97 has seen its fair share of closures in recent years.
The most common reason is accidents, but wildfires or landslides have also resulted in the road being shut down for multiple days.
“When Highway 97 shuts down due to landslides, wildfires or serious accidents, Okanagan residents — including cancer patients and essential workers — are stranded,” Albas said during today’s question period in the House of Commons.
“Many are forced onto dangerous, poorly marked forest roads like FSR 201. Upgrading this route will give families, businesses and first responders a dependable alternative.”
Albas remarked that the Stephen Harper and Gordon Campbell governments four-laned Hwy 97 between Summerland and Peachland, but the corridor now needs $24 million in stabilization work after the major landslide in August 2023.
He called on the Liberal government to reimburse British Columbia for half of those costs, which would allow the Province to redirect those funds into much-needed upgrades for FSR 201.
Jennifer McKelvie, an Ontario MP and parliamentary secretary to the minister of infrastructure, responded to Albas by saying the Liberals were willing to collaborate.
“Our government is always committed to working with provinces to ensure that Canadian residents are safe,” she noted. “We look forward to ongoing discussions in this regard continuing so that we can find a solution that works for everyone.”
FSR 201 has often served as an emergency detour during major Hwy 97 closures, which includes during the multi-day landslide closure in August 2023 and more recently when the Drought Hill burned near Peachland this summer.
However, even more passenger vehicles it’s not always suitable, as witnessed during a 10-hour closure of the William R. Bennett Bridge due to a bomb threat this past January.
In wintery conditions, many vehicles attempted to use FSR 201 to detour around the lengthy closure of the bridge between West Kelowna and Kelowna.
Unfortunately, several vehicles became stuck in deep snow, forcing search and rescue crews to come to the rescue and the RCMP to issue a warning about using the route during the winter.
When Hwy 97 was shut down for an extended period during the Drought Hill wildfire in late July, the City of Penticton and several local MLAs called on the Province to upgrade FSR 201 as an alternate route.
