Premier John Horgan has announced $10-million in immediate safety upgrades for Sooke Road (Highway 14).
Construction is set to begin immediately and will include three new additional bus pullouts, a new two-lane bridge on Gillespie Road, a bus-queue jump lane, new safety signs, a slow moving vehicle pull out and a rest area.
“For too long, people on the West Shore have been frustrated by mounting congestion and traffic bottlenecks,” said Premier John Horgan, MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca.
“Highway 14 is an essential connection for people on southern Vancouver Island, and we’re making travel safer and less stressful so people can spend more time with their families, instead of sitting in traffic.”
Breakdown of upgrades
- Three bus pullouts on both sides of Highway 14 at the West Shore Parkway, Laidlaw Road and Harbourview Road;
- A bus-queue jump lane at Jacklin Road;
- New safety signs at three locations (Kangaroo Road, Gillespie Road, and Parkland Road);
- A slow-moving vehicle pullout east of Muir Creek, between Sooke and French Beach;
- A new rest area at the Sombrio lookout; and
- A new two-lane bridge on Gillespie Road, which is an important alternative route to Highway 14.
Design work for the Sooke River Road intersection upgrade is also planned to get underway immediately.
“Accelerating safety projects on Highway 14 ensures everyone, whether drivers, cyclists, pedestrians or transit users, can move around the Capital Regional District quickly and safely whatever their preferred travel mode,” said Claire Trevena, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.
“Local residents and businesses have been asking for traffic improvements in this growing region, and we’re responding by getting to work right away on a suite of upgrades that will have big impact, quickly, with more improvements on the horizon.”
The next phase of the project will be announced this year, and will be based on community feedback with a focus on intersection upgrades, passing lanes, improving highway alignment and widening shoulders for cyclists, according to the province.
