The head of Penticton RCMP’s traffic division is worried about the potential for a serious accident on the Channel Parkway at the site where the new bridge is under construction at Green Avenue.
Cpl. Ted Manchulenko is particularly concerned about the high incidence of southbound drivers turning left off the parkway into the northbound exit to Green Avenue.
“The bottom line is we’ve come to acknowledge that there is an issue here because people are continuing to disobey the no left turn sign and barricades (pylons),” said Manchulenko. “Just this morning (Feb.12) and we stopped six people in less than an hour. It’s well marked and it’s not hidden by any stretch so we’re taking an enforcement approach to it now.
“I know what’s going to happen is that somebody is going try and make a left there and they’re going to get T-boned by somebody coming the other way at 70 km and it’s not going to be pretty.”
He added there is also the potential for a serious rear-end collision involving a vehicle trying to make an illegal turn.
In addition to the stepped up enforcement Manchulenko plans to approach the Ministry of Transportation about installing a more solid barrier to prevent the turns.
“The site supervisor (of the construction project) is also on side with this because it’s his job to maintain those pylons and he has to keep going back and putting them back up,” he said. “He (the supervisor) is trying his best but people are continually running over them.”
There is also a concern about the speed limit which remains at the normal 70 km/h. It was lowered to 50 km/h during the initial start up of the work but the construction speed zone signs were then taken down.
Meanwhile, construction of the new bridge crossing is reportedly ahead of schedule.
And that is good news for everyone, according to Penticton Indian Band Chief Jonathan Kruger, who recently received word on the progress of the long-awaited bridge.
Changes to the traffic patterns on the Channel Parkway are only part of the time-sensitive construction schedule, according to Kruger.
“We are sorry for the inconvenience on the highway, but safety comes first,” said Kruger. “It’s going to be a challenge to get through there, but that is why we are working as hard as we can. That’s why I think it is good news that they are saying they are ahead of schedule. That should make us all happy.”
When completed, the bridge will be similar to the Green Mountain Road bridge, but larger, allowing access to a large section of undeveloped land on the Penticton Indian Reserve, mostly owned privately by band members.
Kruger said the five-lane design is to accommodate future growth.
“They were pushing for six lanes, with a turning in lane, and a turning out lane and then two lanes going back and forth,” said Kruger, explaining the PIB decided it would be better to design for five lanes, but build the bridge wide enough so the lines could be changed to six lanes if needed.
“It might take 20 years for that thing to really build out. Let’s keep it five wide, and if we do have congestion problems, we should have enough money by then to build another bridge at Warren Avenue,” said Kruger.
Construction is expected to shut down for two months in the summer to accommodate the tourist season, before crews return to finish the project in the fall. Traffic will be restored on the Parkway when that happens, Kruger said, and they are hoping to have passage restored on the channel and the walking path as well.
“That is our plan, that is our hope. We will see how it goes,” said Kruger, noting that they may have to take other measures for safety like installing floating barriers. “River channel rafting might have to shut down right at the Green Mountain Road bridge.”
Human traffic, both vehicular and floating, is only part of the problem. The band is also concerned about spawning salmon and kokanee in the fall.
“If the plan goes well, we will have the pilings in and we will have the bridge span ready. When we start back up, we will be right out of the water for the salmon,” said Kruger. “That’s why our planning is so important. We are taking all of those things into consideration, the fish and the tourism. And safety obviously.”