New Pat Bay Highway overpass to open in 2025: province
The B.C. government says final designs for a new overpass along the Patricia Bay Highway on Vancouver Island are nearly complete, with the overpass expected to open in 2025.
The overpass will be located in Central Saanich at Keating Cross Road, allowing northbound traffic to turn onto the road without having to pass oncoming highway lanes.
Currently, northbound vehicles that want to turn left onto Keating Cross Road have to wait to until there's a gap in traffic from two oncoming southbound highway lanes.
The intersection was the site of 12 crashes that caused injuries between 2015 and 2019, and was also the site of one fatal crash during that time, according to the province.
The intersection of the Pat Bay Highway and Keating Cross Road is pictured: Feb. 24, 2021 (Province of B.C. / Flickr)
$76.8-MILLION PROJECT
The province says the overpass is estimated to cost $76.8 million, up from the original estimate of $44 million when the project was first announced in 2019.
Funding will be split between all three levels of government.
The District of Central Saanich is providing roughly $2.5 million, the B.C. government is contributing $57.6 million, and the federal government has promised up to $16.7 million.
"This project will help make Highway 17 safer for everyone who uses it and will help decrease congestion and improve connectivity for residents and local businesses," said B.C. Transportation Minister Rob Fleming in a statement Friday.
"The Patricia Bay Highway plays a critical role in connecting communities on the South Island to the services and goods they depend on, and I’m excited for work to get underway," he said.
The province says a project tender is expected to open this fall, with contractors bidding to complete the project.
Construction is expected to finish in spring 2025, according to the Ministry of Transportation.
OTHER FEATURES
Besides the overpass, the project includes adding a bus pull out for future rapid transit plans, a realignment of the southbound onramp from Keating Cross Road onto the highway, and construction of a new sidewalk on Keating Cross Road.
The province also plans to close access to the highway from three roads to "improve safety for all travellers."
The highway will no longer be accessible from East Saanich Road, Martindale Road and Danica Place once the project is complete.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.