Changes Announced to Area Highways Including Increased Speed Limits

As part of the province wide Rural Highway Safety and Speed Review some speed limits on area highways will go up beginning Wednesday.

Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Todd Stone made the announcement saying motorist’s safety on provincial highways remains a number one priority.

New 120km speed limit on Coquihalla & Ok Connector in effect today. Pleased to put first sign up #Kamloops #bcpoli pic.twitter.com/15VxvA0iI1

— Todd Stone (@toddstonebc) July 2, 2014

“Safety on our highways is our number one priority, and is the foundation for every decision that has resulted from this review,” he said. “The actions we’re taking were the subject of a thorough technical review by our engineers, and the ministry is committed to ongoing monitoring and evaluation of speed limits and other highway safety measures.”

Today we are announcing the results of our Rural Highway Safety and Speed Review. http://t.co/MhM4u6mFNL pic.twitter.com/3OnJW8iVwU

— Todd Stone (@toddstonebc) July 2, 2014

Several highways will see an adjustment of the speed limit, including a new maximum speed of 120 km/hr on certain sections of divided multi-lane highways –including the Coquihalla. There will also be 6,500 kilometres of rumble strips added, 30 new passing lanes and 80 intersection improvements on high crash locations.

The following changes are coming to area highways in the B.C. southern interior:

Highway 1 Canoe (near Salmon Arm) to Highway 23 South, Revelstoke (58 km, excluding 60 km/h section through Sicamous)
Current speed limit: 90, 100
New speed limit: 100

Highway 3 Start of Highway 3 (Exit 170) to junction with Highway 5 Coquihalla (7 km)
Current speed limit: 100
New speed limit: 110

Highway 3 Sunshine Valley to Manning Park East Boundary (33 km)
Current speed limit: 80, 90
New speed limit: 100

Highway 3 Sunday Summit to Whipsaw Creek, west of Princeton (22 km)
Current speed limit: 80
New speed limit: 90

Highway 5 Hope (Exit 177) to Othello Road (4 km)
New speed limit: 110
Previous speed limit: 100

Highway 5 Othello Road, near Hope to Highway 1 junction, near Kamloops (200 km)
New speed limit: 120
Previous speed limit: 110

Highway 5A Old Hedley Road, north of Princeton to Highway 97C junction (36 km, excluding 70 km/h section through Aspen Grove)
Current speed limit: 80
New speed limit: 90

Highway 33 South of Gallagher Road to McCulloch Road (32 km)
Current speed limit: 90
New speed limit: 100

Highway 33 North of Highway 3 junction, Rock Creek to Westbridge (12 km)
Current speed limit: 90
New speed limit: 100

Highway 97 Gatzke Road, north of Oyama to College Way, south of Vernon (16 km)
Current speed limit: 90
New speed limit: 100 - Pending completion of engineering assessment to determine if median barriers are required before implementation of the new speed limit.

Highway 97 Highway 97A junction near Swan Lake to Westside Road (6 km)
Current speed limit: 80
New speed limit: 90

Highway 97A north of Smith Drive, Armstrong to Highway 97B junction, Enderby (18 km excluding 50 km/h section through Enderby)
Current speed limit: 90
New speed limit: 100

Highway 97A Highway 97B junction, near Grindrod to Sicamous (33 km, excluding 50 km/h section through Grindrod)
Current speed limit: 80
New speed limit: 90

Highway 97C Merritt to Aspen Grove (22 km)
Current speed limit: 100
New speed limit: 110

Highway 97C Aspen Grove to Drought Hill Interchange, Peachland (78 km)
New speed limit:120
Previous speed limit:110