A $23.2 million contract has been awarded to Emil Anderson Construction Inc. to complete the next phase of work on Highway 97 north of Summerland.
The work, between Callan Road and Okanagan Lake Provincial Park, is part of efforts to stabilize the slope beside the highway.
Construction is expected to begin in the fall and to be completed in the spring of 2027.
The stabilization is expected to return the highway to its four-lane configuration.
Work will include building a retaining wall and a catchment area at the base of the slope, along with a concrete wall next to the highway for added reinforcement.
Additional rock anchors will be installed to secure the slope, followed by repairs to the road surface and drainage improvements.
The work is expected to provide support and prevent rockfall impacts, a news release from the provincial Ministry of Transportation and Transit states.
In August 2023, a rockslide resulted in the closure of the highway north of Summerland. Around 3,000 cubic metres of material fell onto the road surface at this time.
Extensive geotechnical work was done following this slide.
From October 2023 to June 2024, crews removed unstable rock through controlled blasting.
More than 100 rock anchors had been installed by the fall of 2024 as part of the first phase of the stabilization efforts.
Because of the ongoing construction work, Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes has called for a year-round alternate route in the area. He said Highway 97 is an essential transportation route in the Okanagan Valley.
鈥淚t鈥檚 our lifeline," he said in 2024. "We鈥檙e so dependent on it for everything."
Other mayors in the region have also called for an alternate route.
This portion of the highway has had other rock slides in past years.
In 2008, a fault was discovered in the rock face above the highway. At that time, the highway was closed in both directions for 19 days.
In 2014 and 2019, rock slides in the same area also resulted in lengthy closures.
The road closures also mean lengthy detours. While a drive between Summerland and Peachland normally takes around 20 minutes, if the highway is closed, motorists face a detour of nearly 300 kilometres along Highway 97C, Highway 5A, and Highway 3.
In January 2025, Conservative MLAs called on the province to address the ongoing issues along Highway 97.
鈥淲e need a comprehensive plan including soil stabilization, fire prevention and road widening to proactively address Highway 97鈥檚 vulnerabilities and prevent future disasters,鈥� said Misty Van Popta, MLA for Langley-Walnut Grove.
During the next phase of construction along Highway 97, motorists are urged to use caution in the area, obey posted speed limits and follow directions of traffic control personnel.
