Construction of the Keating flyover overpass could see one of the main routes on the Peninsula closed to traffic sporadically over the next two years.
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Rob Fleming told Black Press Media closures of Highway 17 – including all-night disruptions – are possible but the contract stipulates traffic must flow during peak hours.
“There will be more information about that when the job starts getting underway.”
The province on Monday (April 17) announced the $54.5-million contract for the Highway 17 Keating Cross Overpass Project has been awarded to FlatIron Constructors Canada Ltd.
Construction of the overpass is expected to begin in the coming weeks and is anticipated to be completed in spring 2025.
Fleming clarified following Monday’s announcement that the project is expected to break ground in May.
The project will see the northbound turn lane onto Keating Cross Road replaced with a flyover overpass from Highway 17. Other work will also include installing a new sidewalk on Keating Cross Road, widening Keating Cross Road and the highway, realigning the southbound on-ramp, and closing the Highway 17 access at East Saanich and Martindale roads.
“It’s about safety but it’s also about capacity. It’s about our clean transportation action plan so it builds (space for) bus priority lanes – bus on shoulder – for the rapid bus system we hope to implement on the Saanich Peninsula,” Fleming said.
Funding for the project was announced in August 2019, with preconstruction work getting underway last year. Fleming said since that 2019 announcement a lot of work has been done in terms of public engagement with residents and key organizations, including Keating Elementary School and the District of Central Saanich.
“Taking some additional time to get it right, I think is appropriate because it’s going to be difficult conditions,” he said. “It’s a bit of a pinched area in terms of available land to use so geotechnical work and a thorough assessment of the soil conditions was really important and that informs the strategy around design and construction.”
The MLA for Victoria-Swan Lake, Fleming is no stranger to the area and said the active transportation components of the project, including sidewalks and safer crossings for students, will help address safety concerns.
“It’s going to be much better in terms of improved sightlines and flow of traffic than what is there currently and everybody is going to benefit from this including people whose employment is in the Keating Cross Road business centre, which is one of the most dynamic manufacturing sectors in the southern Vancouver Island area.”
The project is budgeted to cost $76.8 million with $57.6 million coming from the province, $16.7 million from the federal government and $2.5 million from the District of Central Saanich.
-With files from Wolfgang Depner
READ MORE: $54.5-million contract awarded, construction to start on Keating overpass
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