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Improvements to Highway 97 completed

The $9 million passing lane and hike and bike trail projects on Highway 97 between Oliver and Osoyoos are completed.

The $9 million passing lane and hike and bike trail projects on Highway 97 between Oliver and Osoyoos are completed.

"It's easy to see the benefits of this project for South Okanagan communities, families and our visitors — safer travel between Oliver and Osoyoos on Highway 97 and a great new opportunity to hike and bike our beautiful region," said John Slater, MLA for Boundary Similkameen.

Passing lanes were added on Highway 97 north of Osoyoos to provide assured passing opportunities between Osoyoos and Oliver. The length of the new passing lanes (four-lane section) is approximately two kilometres. The three-metre wide gravel surface hike and bike trail runs parallel to the highway between 204th Road and Road 22. The trail will add approximately two km to the hike and bike trail between the communities of Osoyoos and Oliver.

"This important project demonstrates our government's commitment to providing safer, more efficient travel opportunities for Okanagan residents and their families," said Dan Albas, MP for Okanagan Coquihalla on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.

The $8 million passing lanes project was funded under the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund and cost-shared between the federal and provincial governments. The hike and bike trail parallel to the Highway 97 improvements is a $1 million project funded solely by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Almost 60 jobs were generated over the life of the two projects.