Getting to Uptown will soon be a lot easier for cyclists and walkers using the Capital Region's most popular trail network.
Work begins next week on a project to improve access from the Galloping Goose Trail to the intersection of Carey Road and Ravine Way.
"The connection that currently exists there off the Galloping Goose is fairly steep and somewhat narrow, and limits the access to the Uptown area," said Saanich director of engineering Harley Machielse.
The $300,000 project will include the construction of a four-metre-wide pathway at a more accessible grade, additional concrete stairway as well as a new bus stop pad on Carey Road. New landscaping will also be put in while the short underpass beneath the Carey Road bridge will be closed. That secluded section has often been subject to litter and vandalism in the past.
"The improvements we're going to be putting in will provide improved access to Carey Road for all ages and abilities from some of our most popular [sections of the] Galloping Goose and Lochside Trail," said Machielse.
He said the project is expected to take two months to complete and will bring limited traffic disruptions on Carey, although most of the work will take place off the road. Saanich will be picking up about two-thirds the cost of the project with the developer of the nearby Uptown property covering the remainder of the cost.
Machielse said future work in the area will include bike crossings as well as improvements on the east side of Carey.
"All that roadwork – which is a new sidewalk [and] a three-metre bike lane that's bi-directional – along Ravine and Carey will be built as part of the development at the corner," he said, adding when that work takes place will depend on the developer's timeline.
