Lake Country Calendar, April 02, 2014

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April 2, 2014

Landslide scare closes Hwy 97, Pelmewash Friday

Inside

KEVIN PARNELL

A new fire truck for Lake Country is ready to battle urban and interface fires from the Carr’s Landing fire station. ...............................

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Seaton Park A practice by Lake Country’s engineering department may be rethought after a neighbour complains Jack Seaton Park is being used as a dumping ground for cleared material. ...............................

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Flyers ■ Bulk Barn ■ Home Depot ■ Jysk ■ Rona ■ Save On ■ Shoppers ■ Staples ■ Summit Tools

Motorists in Lake Country were sent in all directions Friday afternoon after concerns about a potential landslide turned out to be more of a safety exercise than an actual threat. After reports of a dangerous boulder along a cliff bordering the new Highway 97 forced officials to close the highway and call in the Ministry of Highways, the ministry re-opened the region’s main thoroughfare and deemed it safe less than two hours later. The event spotlighted just how traffic might be affected in an emergency along the new highway. According to Lake Country fire chief Steve Windsor, the area in question is on one of two rock faces immediately beside the new Highway 97 and officials were worried that a boulder, about the size of a pickup truck, could become dislodged. Windsor said the

KEVIN PARNELL/LAKE COUNTRY CALENDAR

LAKE COUNTRY officials help to direct traffic near the north end of Pelmewash Parkway while the new section of Highway 97 was closed to investigate a potential loose boulder. The cut of the new highway through Lake Country can be seen in the background. Ministry of Highways was out to have a look at the area in question a few weeks ago but deemed it safe. However, Friday after complaints from the public, Lake Country

emergency officials decided to request the ministry have another look at the area. Both Highway 97 and the Pelmewash Parkway were closed immediately.

After the ministry as well as the highway contractor and geotechnical engineers assessed the area, the highways were re-opened. “Ministry staff went

to the site, following reports of a possible rock slide event,” the Ministry of Transportation said in a press release. “When they arrived, they found no changes to the slope

or the ditch since the clean-up that occurred after a rock slide event March 10.” Geotech engineers re-

SEE CLOSURE A3

▼ PROVINCE RESPONDS

Improvements to access on/off Highway 97 to Pelmewash RICHARD ROLKE Action is being taken to alleviate motorists’ concerns about Highway 97 through Lake Country. The Ministry of Transportation is initiating upgrades to the exits and entrances from the upper-level highway at both ends of Pelmewash Parkway, the renamed former section of the highway. “It’s a step in the right

direction,” said Owen Dickie, a Lake Country councillor. The primary concern had been that vehicles trying to get off Pelmewash Parkway and on to Highway 97 south cannot see the highway traffic until the merge lane is almost used up. To improve sight distance as vehicles merge on to the highway from the parkway, the ministry is going to remove an existing dirt bank and pos-

Owen Dickie sibly some concrete barriers. For improved driv-

er awareness, “Merge ahead” signs will be installed. In addition, the ministry has already removed the “70 km ahead” sign 100 metres north to allow southbound traffic more time to slow down before the merge. Concerns were also raised about the north end of the new highway bypass where it meets up with Pelmewash Parkway, and specifically a tight corner and high

rate of speed. In this area, the ministry will install an “Exit 30 km” sign for motorists going on to Pelmewash Parkway from the highway. To improve driver awareness as vehicles prepare to access the highway travelling from Pelmewash going north, the ministry has already installed reflectors and may possibly install a speed warning sign. There will also be

signs to let motorists know about the upcoming corner. “The ministry will monitor the results of the changes and if more needs to be done, hopefully they will consider that,” said Dickie. “There’s been enough of a groundswell of public complaints so they recognized there had to be a response.” Richard Rolke is a Black Press reporter with Vernon Morning Star.


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