Traffic safety taken to a higher level
Topics
By City of Kelowna | Jul 2, 2025
Whether you are diving a car, pedaling a bike or making your way on foot, getting across Highway 97 can cause some anxiety. Inattentive drivers in a hurry, pedestrians (even cyclists!) sometimes more focused on their mobile phones than the road – it all contributes to Highway 97 and its side streets being among the most common locations for traffic accidents in the Okanagan.
Human error and distraction are facts of life in our fast-paced commuter life, no matter how much we all try to adjust and comply with the rules.
That’s why eliminating risks and conflicts among motorists and other forms of mobility are always welcome.
The recent opening of the Bertram Multiuse Overpass marks a major achievement in the City of Kelowna’s efforts to invest in projects that take safety to a higher level.
Among Council priorities for 2023 – 2026 was to enhance traffic safety projects such as traffic calming and pedestrian infrastructure.
The Bertram Multiuse Overpass is a significant step forward in the City of Kelowna’s commitment to enhance Kelowna's active transportation networks and improve connectivity for our community.
As City Manager, Doug Gilchrist said after the bridge was open, “It is more than just a bridge; it is a vital link that connects growing neighbourhoods on the south side of Highway 97 to Downtown and surrounding Active Transportation Corridors (ATC). The overpass is part of the overall Bertram ATC, which is a safe and convenient route through downtown Kelowna. These interconnected ATCs are part of an initiative in our 2040 Transportation Master Plan to further contribute to a healthier, more sustainable community.”
This new connection between Bertram Street and Rowcliffe Park makes it easier and safer for people walking or biking to get where they need to go. As Kelowna grows, the overpass will become an important part of an expanding active transportation network that supports safer, more accessible, and more sustainable ways to move around the city.
“It’s a great example of how we’re putting Council’s priorities into action,” said Gilchrist.
The project was funded in part by the Growing Communities Fund from BC’s Municipal Affairs Minister, the Hon. Ravi Kahlon, and from the Federal/Provincial Canada Community Building Fund (Gas Tax). Their support and partnerships have been instrumental in bringing this project to life.
