Saanich council is asking the province to rethink an interchange plan that would address some of Vancouver Island’s worst traffic.
In April, a cloverleaf design was selected for the $85-million interchange at McKenzie Avenue and Admirals Road.
More than 75 per cent of respondents supported the option following months of public engagement.
After hours of debate at the council meeting on Monday evening, Saanich council sent back the design saying they want the province to reconsider.
The Gorge-Tillicum Community Association had issued a letter in opposition to the plans. In it they wrote they were disappointed that Saanich had done little to protect nearby Cuthbert Holmes Park, which would lose some park space to the project.
In a news conference Tuesday morning B.C. Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Todd Stone said he was surprised by the opposition.
“We’ve been led to believe up until last night that council was generally behind this plan and supportive of it,” Stone said.
The minister noted that they`ll be moving forward with the project due to the array of benefits wrapped around it – including for motorists up and down southern Vancouver Island.
"It’s good for the environment. It’s going to be good for transit riders, it’s going to be good for cyclists and pedestrians."
The province plans to come forward with a detailed plan at the public open house on May 18.
"We’re going to come forward at that time with very detailed plans on what we intend to do to mitigate environmental impacts particularly as related to the park and beyond that we will continue to work very closely with the community and all stakeholder groups to minimize those impacts," Stone said.
The minister stated the contractor will have a construction environmental management plan that they`ll adhere to rigidly throughout the entire project.
"We’re going to continue to listen and work with the community, but fundamentally this project is critical to the south island."
As for the design, Stone said they`re going to stick with the cloverleaf because it has the greatest safety and efficiency benefits.
Mayor of Langford Stewart Young addressed the issue on CFAX 1070 Tuesday morning.
He said he was surprised by the council`s concerns because this interchange was earmarked for over 30 years.
“It is a big decision and to stop it or to slow it down doesn’t make any sense to me. That money has got a timeline on it and it should be spent, otherwise it can go somewhere else and we’ll never get this thing done.”
The project is expected to get underway this fall and should be completed within a few years.
The final public open house will be held on May 18 at St. Joseph the Worker Parrish Hall.
