LoginCommonwealth Road – Jim Bailey Road Planning Study
Okanagan Indian Band and the City of Kelowna along with Locatees, Members and other stakeholders will soon be consulted to develop a Commonwealth Road Functional Planning Study as a first step towards connecting Commonwealth Road with Jim Bailey Road. The project will gather feedback from members and use it to inform the development of improvement concepts for Commonwealth Road that will ensure the area is serviced and sustainable in the long term.
About the Project
The connection between Commonwealth Road and Jim Bailey Road will help reduce congestion on Beaver Lake Road, provide road access to land east of Duck Lake, and create the opportunity to provide water and sewer services to existing and future properties in the area.
The purpose of the study is to understand how to improve Commonwealth Road and make it suitable for all users once it’s connected to Jim Bailey Road. This will provide a strong foundation for more detailed design work and future construction.
The study area is shown in blue in the photo below:
Memorandum of Understanding
In 2022, OKIB, the City of Kelowna, and the District of Lake Country agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to complete several health, safety and infrastructure improvements across the three jurisdictions.
The Commonwealth Road connection between Highway 97 and Jim Bailey Road is one of many projects included in this MOU.
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Highway 97 – Commonwealth Road Improvements
Alongside this project, which is being led by the City of Kelowna, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is undertaking a traffic analysis and preliminary design work to support improvements at the intersection of Commonwealth Road and Highway 97. The City of Kelowna will be working with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to coordinate these two projects along Commonwealth Road.
More information on the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s work on Commonwealth Road can be found on the Highway 97 – Commonwealth Road Improvements page.
How to get involved
- Okanagan Indian Band Members and Locatees who live along Commonwealth Road will be engaged throughout the project.
- Residents and business owners in the area will receive notification letters in late 2024 providing an overview of the project, including timelines and engagement opportunities.
- A public open house will be held in late 2024 and will be open to all community members who are interested in learning more about the project.