The Highway 97 intersection at Stickle Road is now safer and more reliable for people travelling through the area, with the opening of the newly restructured intersection.

This intersection in the northern part of Vernon has experienced a significant number of crashes and increased congestion in recent years. Improvement work included:

• converting Stickle Road at Highway 97 to a left-in, right-in and right-out intersection;
• lengthening the northbound and southbound left-turn lanes on the highway; and
• providing right-turn acceleration and deceleration lanes at the east and west approaches.

The $15-million project will also include an extension of 20th Street, connecting it to the south end of the existing Stickle Frontage Road. While this section is not expected to be completed until fall 2019, depending on soil settlement, ongoing work will not impact traffic on Highway 97.

This single-lane southbound extension has been designed to accommodate the future expansion of the municipal road if development in the area continues to increase.

Significant environmental work was completed along the 20th Street extension ahead of construction, including relocation of fish and amphibian habitats in BX Creek. The ministry is also working with Ducks Unlimited to develop a new wetland habitat three times the size of the one impacted by the project.

Learn More:

For more Stickle Road/Highway 97 safety improvements, including the 20th Street extension, go to: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/transportation-infrastructure/projects/okanagan-valley-corridor/okanagan-valley-current/stickle-road-intersection?keyword=Stickle&keyword=road