Tuesday morning’s commute in the Central Okanagan was brought to a standstill following a serious multi-vehicle collision on the Bennett Bridge.
“At this time, RCMP is unable to confirm what factors may have contributed to the collision, nor the extent of injuries which may have been sustained,” said Kelowna RCMP Cpl. Steven Lang. “Further details regarding the investigation will be released when it is appropriate to do so.”
The crash happened shortly after 4 a.m., shutting down all three southbound lanes into West Kelowna and temporarily impacting one of the two northbound lanes into Kelowna.
The nearly five-hour incident caused major traffic backups in both directions and forced Mt. Boucherie Secondary School to cancel classes for the day after staff were unable to get to work.
Motorists were advised that the best alternate southbound route was to travel north to Vernon before taking Westside Road — a roughly 130-kilometre detour.
The latest closure has renewed calls from local politicians and residents for a second crossing of Okanagan Lake.
Gavin Dew, Conservative MLA for Kelowna-Mission, said incidents such as Tuesday’s crash highlight the need for additional transportation infrastructure.
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“Every time there is a closure on the bridge, it’s a reminder of the fact that we are still waiting for significant traffic improvements that are overdue,” Dew said.
The idea of a second crossing has been raised by community leaders and residents for years.
However, another bridge was not included in the 20-year transportation plan unveiled by the province in 2023.
Macklin McCall, Conservative MLA for West Kelowna-Peachland, said congestion and the need for another crossing have been ongoing concerns.
“This didn’t just spring up overnight. This was an issue with the second crossing and congestion for quite some time,” McCall said. “We still haven’t had meaningful conversations. The province hasn’t said, you know, this is one of the fastest-growing areas in British Columbia and there hasn’t even been discussions on it. But I’ll tell you this, people in the region are certainly discussing it.”
West Kelowna’s Stephen Johnston, who has been acclaimed as the city’s next mayor, told Global News that a second bridge remains a long-term solution but he wants to see action now.
“The bridge should be properly six-laned, with a new pedestrian and active transportation lane cantilevered off the side,” Johnston stated in an email to Global News. “It was originally designed to accommodate this, and we need to leverage that opportunity. This would add much-needed capacity while providing greater flexibility to keep traffic moving in both directions when an accident occurs.”
McCall said transportation infrastructure is a major issue for the Okanagan region.
“If it doesn’t get addressed, it’s only going to get worse,” McCall said.
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