People in Sooke are saying they’ve had enough of the slowdowns on Highway 14.

Lengthy delays and crawling traffic have been common on the route due to safety improvements being made at the intersection of Sooke and Edward Milne Road. 

Drivers are frustrated with the roadwork being done during the day, which affects travel times to and from the West Shore community. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure says it is allowing contractors to work day and night shifts.

The ministry also says the goal is to keep traffic delays under 10 minutes, but that hasn’t been everyone's experience.

“What would usually be a five-minute commute, has turned into a 25-minute commute,” said Sooke resident Derek Lewers.

Lewers shot a video Thursday showing gridlock traffic on the way into the city, stretching for almost seven kilometers.

The current delays have people wondering how bad it will get when other proposed improvement projects break ground.

“It’ll be the headache of all headaches,” said resident Patricia Timms.

TImms said she was travelling to the local pool and had to turn around because traffic on the highway was at a virtual standstill.

The ongoing improvements are part of a larger infrastructure project that Premier John Horgan announced last year, saying “[we’re] investing $10-million to kick of the first phase of safety improvements on the corridor between Langford and Sooke.”

It’s a plan that people were originally excited about, but some now feel differently

“If they were to do a full widening of the highway, it would be a nightmare for Sooke commuters for at least a couple of years," said Lewers.

Not everyone is against the improvements to the busy road. The Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce is excited about the changes.

“From a manufacturing point of view, there needs to be materials coming in and finished product going out easily…this is not easy,” said president David Bloom

While Bloom recognizes that not everyone is welcoming the growth of the city, he’s hoping that businesses will consider relocating.

“There’s room for bigger businesses that manufacture things in the future,” Bloom said. “Maybe not next week or next month, but come and investigate, really, it’s worth it.”