Rendering of the planned 43rd Ave. corridor project and ALC access points (image courtesy of the City of Vernon)

By Liam Verster

Major Corridor Project

Vernon planning roundabout, single lanes in 43rd Avenue corridor

Jan 13, 2026 | 10:11 AM

The City of Vernon is moving towards making major changes to a key intersection and the road by Kal Tire Place and the new Active Living Centre (ALC).

As part of the 43rd Avenue Corridor project, the city is proposing building a single-lane roundabout at the intersection of Alexis Park Drive, Old Kamloops Road, and 43rd Avenue; establishing a right turn only lane into the ALC parking lot off 43rd Ave., resulting in a loss of one of the westbound lanes; reducing 43rd Ave. to just one eastbound lane between the roundabout and the traffic light at the entrance of Kal Tire Place; and creating an ALC parking lot entrance/exit point off Old Kamloops Road.

Rendering of the planned 43rd Ave. corridor project and ALC access points (image courtesy of the City of Vernon)

Rendering of the planned 43rd Ave. corridor project and ALC access points (image courtesy of the City of Vernon)

“This design balances safety, efficiency, and fiscal responsibility,” the city staff report stated.

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“Administration will monitor future changes in traffic conditions and will provide council with recommendations for any necessary adjustments to the current design if required. This approach will help ensure that the roundabout continues to serve the community well into the future.”

The design was presented to Vernon City Council during the regular meeting Monday, Jan. 11, where it raised some concerns.

Coun. Kelly Fehr noted the report stated that a two-lane roundabout was feasible at the intersection but the city was opting to build just a single-lane one, to which staff said having just one lane would be enough to manage the traffic flow for the next 10 to 15 years. It was also stated that the proposed design would allow the roundabout to be expanded into two lanes should the need a rise in the future.

Coun. Brian Guy expressed concern with the right in/right out only ALC access point on 43rd Avenue, stating he believed there would be issues with bottle necking and traffic jams. To that, staff stated the “free flowing” nature of the roundabout would reduce congestion leading up to the intersection, and that controlled pedestrian lights and the traffic signals east of that access point would also give motorists opportunities to exit the parking lot.

Mayor Victor Cumming noted that 43rd Ave. sees a lot of traffic that has to zipper merge ahead of the intersection in order to access the western half of the community, and was concerned that the design would not reduce that but instead push the merge further up the hill and closer to the Kal Tire Place or the Vernon Square Mall turnoff points. Again staff stated the “free flowing” nature of the roundabout would mean less congestion and fewer cars lined up along 43rd Avenue and that traffic would be able to efficiently move through the area.

Councillors Akbal Mund and Brian Quiring were the first to voice their supports for the proposed corridor design. Mund stated roundabouts have already been shown to reduce congestion around Vernon and that not having to wait for traffic lights would allow people to move through the area with ease. Quiring also noted that 43rd Avenue is able to handle the 3,000 people who come out for Vernon Vipers game without issue, and that the ALC would not see the same volumes of people leaving all at once and causing backlogs along the road.

Vernon City Council ultimately voted unanimously to accept the design for information.

The 43rd Avenue Corridor project team will host an Infrastructure Open House in the coming months to meet with the public and share plans for this project.