Next leg of E&N Rail Trail will connect West Shore with Victoria
The Capital Regional District (CRD), in partnership with the City of Victoria, will begin work on the E&N Rail Trail that will connect Esquimalt, View Royal and Langford with Victoria's downtown core next year.
Measuring just under one kilometre, the new stretch of trail will run from the intersection of Esquimalt Road and Robert Street to the Harbour Road overpass of the Galloping Goose Trail.
The pedestrian and cyclist trail will wind its way through the Vic West community beside the tracks of the former E&N rail line.
"It’ll create a separated improved area to transition off the trail, and it will detour pedestrians and cyclists down through Kitma Road," said CRD Parks and Trails committee chair Rebecca Mersereau.
"It will create a much safer passage for them to get across the Johnson Street Bridge," she said.
Mersereau says the CRD is about to begin the procurement stage of the project to complete the fourth phase of the E&N Rail Trail. The estimated cost of the project is $1.5 million, which includes a $500,000 grant from the B.C. Government.
"We’re excited to have the network completed, particularly for riders who might start their journey in Langford or View Royal and want to make a safe journey downtown," said Mersereau.
"We’ve seen significant growth in trail use and it's clear that there are more diverse trail users out there."
AN ALTERNATIVE TO VEHICLES
Mersereau says the finished Vic West section of the E&N Rail Trail will let users connect to other regional trails, such as the Lochside Trail, by connecting to the Galloping Goose Trail on the western side of the Johnson Street Bridge.
"This is about enabling more people to have opportunities to recreate and to transport themselves around the region in a more sustainable way," said Mersereau.
"When we think about our region and some of the congestion issues – and we know that over half the greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation – a big part of (changing) that is giving people alternatives to getting around in their vehicles," she said. "We can do that by creating this network where you have this 'off-road' facility where you can get around surprisingly quickly when you don’t have traffic lights."
The trail currently follows the former E&N rail line through the communities of Esquimalt, View Royal, Colwood and Langford. The 13-kilometre pedestrian and cycling trail begins at Jacklin Road in Langford and currently ends at Esquimalt Road at Robert Street in Vic West.
Mersereau expects that the Vic West section of the E&N Rail Trail will be completed before the end of 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Toxic forever chemicals in drinking water: Is Canada doing enough?
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Arrest made, manslaughter charge pending in 2022 death of Calgary toddler
Calgary police have arrested a man and a charge is pending in connection with the death of a toddler in 2022.
When new leaders took over in ancient Maya, they didn't just bury the former royals. They burned their bodies in public
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Some customers steaming after McDonald's ends free hot drink sticker program
It took years for Vinnie Deluca to collect more than 400 cards worth of free McDonald's McCafe coffee, a collection that now has "zero value" after the company discontinued the program.
Prince William returns to public duties after wife Kate's cancer revelation
Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.