CP rail bed near Mara Hall (photo / SNORT)

By Kevin Rothwell

Rail bed erosion a pressing concern

Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail plan endorsed

Feb 24, 2021 | 6:00 AM

A 275-page blue print for the Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail (SNORT) has been endorsed by the Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO.)

At their recent board meeting, directors endorsed the report and also voted to support two grant applications from the North Okanagan Shuswap Rail Trail Advisory Committee.

The applications are to the COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream and the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association’s Destination Development Recovery Infrastructure program, to build a test section of the trail on the Sicamous to Armstrong corridor in 2021.

RDNO staff has also been instructed to report back on the financial implications of using taxation revenue to fund erosion works, and cost estimates and responsibilities for the section which will go through RDNO jurisdictions.

The most immediate issue is erosion along Mara Lake and the Shuswap River, where wave and currents are eroding the now abandoned C.P. rail bed. The estimated cost is $3.5 million to $5 million with an allowance for engineering and contingency.

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Stage two would look at safety issues including addressing steep slope, bridges, missing culverts, road crossings, fencing and signage

Stage three would be construction of a compacted aggregate trail.

Stage four would be construction of the Highway 97A pedestrian/bicycle overpass, trailhead parking and amenities, interpretive signage, access to side destinations and final surfacing.

The estimated capital cost to construct the trail is $17 million to $23.8 million with contingency allowance of 40 per cent, including engineering and other contingencies during construction.

The report suggests that given a smaller population base, SNORT would have 50,000 to 100,000 users a year. It envisions the trail would be strictly for non-motorized use, but not for equestrian use.

Map of SNORT trail (photo / SNORT)

“The Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail Development Plan has been prepared to ensure success in improving pedestrian and cyclist accessibility, destination tourism benefits and longer-term healthy community objectives for all of the communities along the corridor, while attempting to balance the realities of identified technical challenges and limited resources within the rural context,” the summary stated.

The timeline calls for technical planning in 2021 with construction starting next year and completion in 2023.