Okanagan Lake Bridge

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Kelowna Floating Bridge
Official name	Okanagan Lake Bridge
Carries	3 reversible traffic lanes of Highway 97, pedestrians
Crosses	Okanagan Lake
Locale	Kelowna, BC
Maintained by	BC Ministry of Transportation
Design	Pontoon bridge, Vertical lift bridge
Total length	650 m (2,100 feet)
Opening date	July 19, 1958
Maps and aerial photos

The Okanagan Lake Bridge (also known as the Kelowna Floating Bridge) is a three-lane, 2,100 foot/650 metre-long floating bridge in British Columbia, Canada. It crosses Okanagan Lake, connecting the Westside area to Kelowna on the lake's eastern side. Taller boats such as sailboats are able to pass under the lift span which is located at the east end of the bridge. Completed in 1958, the bridge was the first of its kind in Canada. The bridge was partially funded through tolls, which were collected from its opening until April 1, 1963.^[1]

The bridge serves as an important regional transportation link in the Okanagan Valley, joining the southward section of Highway 97 on the west side of the lake to the northward section on the east side, and connecting Westbank and points south to Lake Country and points north.

The floating bridge is slated for replacement as it has outlived its usefulness and is incapable of supporting the current traffic levels. The construction of a new replacement bridge -- the William R. Bennett Bridge -- began in 2005 and is scheduled to be completed in 2008. Currently SNC-Lavlin, the company in charge of construction and maintenance for of the William R. Bennett Bridge for the next 30 years, intend to sink parts of the old bridge into the lake upon completion of the new bridge as no buyers, including the City Of Kelowna, have come forward.