Highway dividers planned for Summerland-Peachland
Median barriers are warranted on some sections of Highway 97 between Summerland and Peachland, according to a fresh engineering analysis by the B.C. Transportation Ministry, but the government has ruled out dividers on Drought Hill, where a man died last week in a head-on collision.
“This location was reviewed in 2016 and any further improvements will be considered as part of the Peachland Transportation Study,” the Transportation Ministry said in an unsigned statement Thursday.
It goes on to note that section of highway, where Simon-Pierre Houde died May 1 when an oncoming car drifted into his lane, already has “centre line and rumble strips, delineators and caution signs.”
Penticton MLA Dan Ashton said Drought Hill is simply too narrow for barriers. He does agree, though, that parts of the highway between Peachland and Summerland, both of which he represents, are accidents waiting to happen.
“I’m very glad that hopefully all the dangerous areas are going to be looked after and I fully understand that the highway width makes it impossible on Drought Hill to install dividing barriers,” he said in an interview Thursday.
The engineering analysis was sparked by a 27,000-name petition initiated by concerned citizen Mick Harper that Ashton tabled in the Legislature and personally delivered to the transportation minister in February.
“I was glad to see they got on it,” said Ashton, “because they did get on with the study right away.”
The ministry refused to provide a copy of the engineering analysis to The Herald, but explained in its statement the study “determined that segments of the highway are warranted for median barrier installation.”
It could be months, however, before the public learns which sections of Highway 97 those are.
“We have since completed a survey of the corridor and have provided that survey data to our engineers for design. We anticipate that the design will be completed this summer,” the statement explained.
“The ministry is planning further public engagement for the study in the coming months, and people will be able to provide feedback at that time.”
The statement goes on to note there are many factors that go into deciding where median barriers are placed, including road geometry and design, road surface condition, site visibility, number of lanes, proximity to intersections, lighting, traffic speeds, traffic volumes and safety performance.