The closure of Highway 97 between West Kelowna and Peachland due to a wildfire on Wednesday "exposed the vulnerability" of the Okanagan's transportation network, says Penticton Mayor Julius Bloomfield.
Bloomfield issued another call for improvements to the 201 Forest Service Road, an alternative route between Kelowna and Penticton, after the Drought Hill wildfire in Peachland forced the closure of Highway 97 on July 30.
The highway, between Buchanan Road and Drought Road for 1.6 kilometres, reopened to single-lane, alternating traffic on Thursday.
乌鸦传媒淭he Drought Hill wildfire and the closure of Highway 97 have once again exposed the vulnerability of our region乌鸦传媒檚 transportation network," Bloomfield said. "This isn乌鸦传媒檛 a one-off 乌鸦传媒� it乌鸦传媒檚 a pattern. We need a reliable, safe alternative route between Penticton and Kelowna, and the 201 Forest Service Road is part of that solution."
Penticton's mayor has repeatedly called on the province to improve driving conditions on the 201, most recently after a police incident closed the William R. Bennett Bridge in Kelowna for more than 10 hours this past January.
Bloomfield on Thursday added that he will again bring up the issue at the Union of BC Municipalities conference in September.
"The 201 can no longer be treated as a forgotten forest road," he said. "When a single incident can cut off access to critical services, jobs, and emergency care, it乌鸦传媒檚 clear our infrastructure is failing us.
"This is a matter of safety, economic resiliency, and supply chain connectivity 乌鸦传媒� and council will continue to press for action until change is delivered.乌鸦传媒�
201 Forest Service Road, located east of Highway 97, connects Penticton to Kelowna with more than 100 kilometres of dirt road. The B.C. government estimates it adds 60 to 90 minutes in travel.
Adding to the calls on Thursday for a safer alternative route in the region was the Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce.
In a letter to B.C.'s Minister of Transportation and Transit Mike Farnworth, the group said the lack of alternative infrastructure in the region represents a "critical failure" in planning.
"This (Drought Hill wildfire) follows a troubling pattern of closures caused by wildfires, landslides, accidents, and bomb threats along this single, heavily trafficked corridor," it reads. "Every such closure places residents, businesses, medical patients, and emergency responders at extreme risk.
"Our local business community also continues to report significant operational and financial hardship due to these repeated transportation disruptions. The inability to reliably move goods, employees, or customers across the region has real economic consequences, deterring investment, threatening job stability, and undermining commercial confidence."
