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A serious multi-vehicle crash on the Bennett Bridge brought Tuesday morning traffic in the Central Okanagan to a near-complete halt, sparking renewed calls for a second crossing of Okanagan Lake. The collision occurred shortly after 4 a.m. and shut down all three southbound lanes into West Kelowna. One of the two northbound lanes into Kelowna also faced temporary disruption.
Kelowna RCMP Corporal Steven Lang confirmed the incident but said investigators had not yet determined what caused the crash. “At this time, RCMP is unable to confirm what factors may have contributed to the collision, nor the extent of injuries which may have been sustained,” Lang said. He added that further details would follow when appropriate.
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Closure Causes Hours of Disruption
The incident lasted nearly five hours and created major traffic backups in both directions. As a result, Mt. Boucherie Secondary School cancelled classes for the day after staff could not reach the school. The disruption also forced drivers to consider lengthy alternate routes.
Authorities advised southbound motorists to travel north to Vernon and then take Westside Road. That detour stretched approximately 130 kilometres. For many commuters, the closure turned a short trip into a hours-long ordeal.
Politicians Renew Push for Second Okanagan Lake Crossing
The Bennett Bridge crash quickly reignited a long-running debate about transportation infrastructure in the region. Local politicians and residents have raised the idea of a second Okanagan Lake crossing for years. However, the provincial government did not include a second bridge in its 20-year transportation plan, released in 2023.
Gavin Dew, Conservative MLA for Kelowna-Mission, said Tuesday’s crash was another reminder of the region’s infrastructure gap. “Every time there is a closure on the bridge, it’s a reminder of the fact that we are still waiting for significant traffic improvements that are overdue,” Dew said.
Macklin McCall, Conservative MLA for West Kelowna-Peachland, echoed those concerns. He argued that congestion and the need for a second crossing have been ongoing issues for some time. “This didn’t just spring up overnight,” McCall said. “We still haven’t had meaningful conversations. The province hasn’t said, you know, this is one of the fastest-growing areas in British Columbia, and there hasn’t even been discussions on it. But I’ll tell you this, people in the region are certainly discussing it.”
Incoming Mayor Calls for Immediate Bridge Upgrades
Stephen Johnston, who has been acclaimed as West Kelowna’s next mayor, told Global News that a second bridge remains a long-term goal. Meanwhile, he wants to see shorter-term improvements move forward now. Johnston said the existing Bennett Bridge should be expanded to six lanes, with an additional pedestrian and active transportation lane added to the side.
“It was originally designed to accommodate this, and we need to leverage that opportunity,” Johnston said in an email to Global News. He argued the upgrade would add much-needed capacity. It would also give traffic managers more flexibility to keep vehicles moving in both directions during future incidents.
McCall stressed that transportation infrastructure is one of the most pressing issues facing the Okanagan. “If it doesn’t get addressed, it’s only going to get worse,” he said. With the region continuing to grow rapidly, local leaders say the pressure on the Bennett Bridge will only increase without meaningful action from the province.
