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Since the new William R. Bennett Bridge was constructed over Okanagan Lake many people have wondered why the speed limit has been set at 60 km/hr when most people don’t obey the posted signs.
Built to replace the old floating bridge, the Bennett Bridge was meant to alleviate traffic congestion with more lanes and better traffic flow. After three years of construction, the bridge opened in 2008 with five lanes, three westbound and two eastbound. An estimated 70,000 vehicles use the bridge every single day, as well as cyclists and pedestrians.
The current speed limit on the bridge is 60 km/hr, but once you are on Westbank First Nation land the speed increases to 80 km/hr. The increase in speed limit heading into West Kelowna often sees cars flying down the highway as motorists were already travelling at that speed while crossing the bridge.
While motorists continue to ignore the speed limit posted by the government, don’t expect the province to increase the limit anytime soon.
According to a Ministry of Transportation spokesperson, there are no plans to increase the speed limit on the bridge for several reasons.
“The design of the bridge – vertical curve and approach curves - would not support an increased speed limit and could lead to safety concerns,” said the spokesperson in a statement.
Kelowna RCMP acknowledges that speeding is a common occurrence along the bridge and regularly conducts enforcement. According to RCMP spokesperson, Jesse O’Donaghey, traffic services officers vary their enforcement times from the early morning hours, to afternoons, evenings and weekends.
“RCMP continues to issue violation tickets for various offences under the Motor Vehicle Act including speeding,” said O’Donaghey.
The province is currently undertaking the Central Okanagan Planning Study, a three-year plan launched in the fall of 2014. The purpose of the study is to develop potential route proposals to address future mobility in the Central Okanagan area.
The study will look at needs of the travelling public, community land use plans, provincial transportation priorities and a possible future second crossing of Okanagan Lake. But it is unlikely that speed complaints across the Bennett Bridge will be heard and considered, given the safety concerns cited by staff.
Recently the province increased speed limits on area highways after conducting a speed review of rural highway safety. Several highways saw speeds increased to 120 km/hr. The province has no plans to conduct a speed review of the Bennett Bridge unless it is brought up during the planning study.
Motorists will have to learn to control their speed along the bridge and adjust driving habits to be in line with the posted speed limit on the bridge, or face hefty fines. Alternately, during the public consultation periods residents can voice their concerns and suggest a speed increase along the bridge if they believe it is in the best interest of public safety.
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