Road work began on November 1 on major improvements to Highway 97 between the towns of Oliver and Okanagan Falls. The current irrigation canal will be relocated in preparation for the addition of passing lanes in both directions for 1.5 kilometres.
The project was first announced by Premier Christy Clark at the the recent Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) Conference.
The road widening project is located north of Gallagher Lake, between Oliver and Okanagan Falls.
The highway construction is scheduled to be complete by March 15, 2013, and will ultimately provide four lanes with paved 2.6 metre centre median, 2.0 metre wide shoulders, rumble strips and roadside barrier as required.
The total cost of the project is $10 million.