Good news for those travelling along Shelbourne Street—kind of.
A portion of Shelbourne Street has reopened as the project enters the third and final phase
After a two-month closure, a section of the busy roadway has reopened to all road users following necessary maintenance and road safety improvements.
“Closing Shelbourne Street meant that we were able to accomplish significantly more work in a shorter time while keeping workers safe,” said Ross Kenny, Assistant Director of Transportation for City of Victoria.
“We’re very grateful to folks for their patience while we took necessary steps to make the road smoother and safer for everyone, and we ask all road users to continue respecting signs and crews while work continues.”
The District of Saanich closed Shelbourne Street between Cedar Hill Cross Road and North Dairy Road on June 18th to carry out significant construction work.
In addition to all the updates along the road, crews replace end-of-life traffic signal poles, increase lighting and improve accessibility at the intersection of Shelbourne Street and Haultain Street.
During this time, the City of Victoria also installed bike lanes from Haultain Street to North Dairy Road, refreshed road paint, maintained pavement and sidewalks, trimmed trees, installed signs, completed underground utility work, and coordinated with other Capital Regional District and District of Saanich projects.
This closure was part of the broader Shelbourne Street Improvement Project, a major initiative that has been underway for several years.
The project aims to enhance road safety and usability through a range of improvements, including new cycling facilities, pedestrian safety upgrades, transit improvements, replacement of underground utility infrastructure, and a new asphalt road surface.
Concrete curbs will be installed later this year to protect the new bike lanes and connect them to Saanich’s protected lanes.
This project closes a major gap in a key north-south cycling route, providing safer travel between Victoria and Saanich. Shelbourne Street is part of Victoria’s All Ages and Abilities (AAA) Cycling Network, with larger upgrades planned after future underground utility work.
Phase 2 of the project began in August 2022, focusing on improvements between Pear Street and North Dairy Road. Ongoing construction for Phase 2 will overlap with Phase 3 until completion in December 2024.
Work scheduled for completion by the end of 2024:
- Underground utilities from North Dairy to Pear
- Upgraded UVic bike connector along Pear/Poplar from Shelbourne to Richmond and across Cedar Hill Cross Road
- Rebuilt road base and repaving of Shelbourne
- New sidewalks along Shelbourne
- New bike paths on both sides of Shelbourne
- New multi-use path on Derby, west of Shelbourne
- New sidewalk on McRae, west of Shelbourne
- Upgraded bus stops along the corridor
- New traffic signals at six intersections
- Upgraded street lighting
Are you a regular commuter on Shelbourne Street? If so, what are your thoughts on the improvements as the project nears its final stage?
