It has long been discussed that there needs to be safer access to and from Highway 97A from the McLeod Subdivision in Spallumcheen, and while previous plans have fallen by the wayside, there appears to be renewed interest in the area from the Ministry of Transportation. 

The Township of Spallumcheen said it has been talking to the ministry for many years about options to improve safety between the highway and the subdivision and adjacent roadways.

 And now, there appears to be some hope that the ministry is interested in the idea. 

"It is our understanding that (the ministry) has undergone preliminary investigations to look at options regarding Highway 97A and side road accesses," the township said in the memo titled McLeod Subdivision Highway Access.

"These investigations are typical as the Ministry reviews highway safety, functionality and maintenance of access options."

The township said there are currently no plans or funding for "advanced design or construction of any changes to access or improvements in the area."

But the township is keeping the issue on the table. 

It says council is planning to have engagement sessions and open houses in 2025 on a variety of topics, including access to McLeod Subdivision. Staff from the ministry will be invited to take part in those sessions. 

"It is planned that discussion of this access will occur so that residents can provide feedback directly to council and Ministry staff," the township said, adding it will announce when these information sessions will take place at a later date, with the expectation that they will be scheduled in the spring or early summer of 2025. 

Better access to the subdivision has long been on the township's agenda. The township's official community plan outlines a need for a future local road connecting the McLeod Subdivision area to Highway 97A via Rosedale East Road and Powerhouse Road.

Plans for safer access to the subdivision have been offered up in the past. In 2011, three land owners submitted an application to the Agricultural Land Commission for approval to subdivide their three bordering properties on Whitaker Road into a 14-lot subdivision.

91裸聊视频淭he applicants state that the purpose of the application is to allow a road network out of McLeod Subdivision which provides a safe and viable alternative route to Highway 97A,91裸聊视频� wrote planners Marnie Skobalski and Greg Routley in a report to council.

It's unclear what became of the proposal, but the proposed public road through the subdivision was never built. 

Safety in the area has been a concern among residents for years. More than 800 people signed a petition calling for a traffic signal to be installed on the highway at McLeod Road. The Ministry of Transportation responded by installing an amber flashing light in 2011.