Commuters will have to put up with construction on the new McKenzie Interchange until the summer of 2019, CTV News has learned.
The Ministry of Transportation says the long-awaited interchange is now nearly a year behind schedule due to challenging weather conditions this winter.
The original expected completion date for the $85-million project was fall 2018.
The ministry also says the timeline was adjusted to lessen traffic and noise impacts along the corridor, adding to the delay.
“We have been working closely with our contractor to get the new overpass open as quickly as possible, as we know the public is looking forward to seeing the benefits from this project as soon as possible,” it said in a statement.
The final construction contract for the interchange, at McKenzie Avenue and Admirals Road, has now been awarded.
Remaining work includes construction of ramps, the overpass and final landscaping.
The interchange will be built as a partial cloverleaf design with the Trans-Canada Highway running below it, and is expected to ease Vancouver Island’s worst traffic bottleneck.
