Project to create Rail Trail link set for construction

A four-million dollar project to provide a continuous biking pathway from the Okanagan Rail Trail to the Mission Creek Greenway in Kelowna will get underway next week and continue through the fall.

The City of Kelowna says Leckie Road between Dilworth Drive and Enterprise Way will undergo traffic pattern changes starting Monday, April 15, as the Leckie Road Active Transportation Corridor is extended from Highway 97 to Dilworth Drive.

Motorists are advised to take alternate routes when possible. Throughout the construction period, traffic will be eastbound only on Leckie Road from Hunter Road to Enterprise Way. Traffic is also expected to become eastbound only from Dilworth Drive to Hunter Road in late spring. Signs in the area will provide up-to-date information on traffic pattern changes and detours.

The project will require the removal of some trees, but the city says more than twice as many will be planted in their place.

“The project will make safety and accessibility improvements at all intersections along the route, including the addition of new traffic signals to the Leckie Road and Dilworth Drive intersection,” Derek Corning, senior project manager, said. “The design of the corridor has been shaped by several factors including safety standards, technical analysis, financial feasibility, and community input.”

Construction hours are Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, work may occur outside of these hours, on evenings and weekends, to minimize impacts on businesses and commuters and limit the time of active construction in the area.