Kelowna road upgrades ease student traffic

KELOWNA, B.C. — Safety and traffic upgrades have wrapped up on John Hindle Drive in Kelowna, B.C.

The road is a key route to access the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO) Campus.

The project was built by BD Hall Constructors Corp and the province estimates the work generated approximately 35 direct construction jobs.

The project was the third and final 1.8-kilometre phase of the John Hindle Drive extension. It involved connecting the Glenmore Landfill Access to Alumni Avenue at the UBCO Campus, installing a new traffic signal and intersection at Upper Campus Way and Academy Way, and the construction of a 2.8-kilometre multi-use pathway from Glenmore Road to Hollywood Road.

The project also involved completion of the Upper Campus Way and left-turn bay at Alumni Avenue for the UBCO Campus.

“For too long, people have been frustrated by heavy traffic in Kelowna, and this project makes it safer and easier for people to move,” said Claire Trevena, B.C.’s minister of transportation and infrastructure, in a press release. “The multi-use pathway also offers a green alternative to the more than 10,000 students, faculty and staff travelling to UBCO, providing a safer and more direct route to the campus without needing to use Highway 97.”

The $12.3-million John Hindle Drive project was cost-shared, with $3.5 million from Ottawa through the Building Canada Fund — Major Infrastructure Component, $3.5 million from the province, $3.7 million from the City of Kelowna and the remaining from the UBCO.

The entire project was first initiated by the City of Kelowna.

Its first phase was on the UBCO Campus and extended between Academy Way and the UBCO Flyover at Highway 97. The second phase extended from Glenmore Road to the Glenmore Landfill.

“We are excited to see this project completed,” said Colin Basran, mayor of the City of Kelowna.

“Boosting Kelowna’s investment in John Hindle Drive by securing funding from the provincial and federal governments has allowed this key connection in our road and cycling network to move forward more quickly than originally scheduled.”