Sooke council will float a proposal to temporarily use Gatewood Road as a relief path to traffic leaving the Sooke Fall Fair event at the Sooke Community Hall this year.
Eustace Road, which starts at Otter Point Road and runs all the way down to a dead end near Gatewood Road, is one of the busiest roads in Sooke due to ongoing traffic at the Sooke Community Hall, the Sooke legion and Mom’s Cafe.
The proposal came from Sooke Fall Fair organizers who are looking at council to help alleviate traffic on Eustace Road before this year’s event. Otherwise, they’ll have to rely on costly flaggers to flow traffic to other spots in the area.
Coun. Kevin Pearson suggested a temporary three-way stop at the bottom of Eustace and Gatewood, which would then turn right towards another temporary stop sign that will allow traffic to turn onto Grant Road.
This will eliminate the need for flaggers, Pearson added, and there would be no need for vehicles to turn around back towards Otter Point Road.
At the moment, however, Gatewood Rd needs to be cleared of brush, and the road must be graded and gravelled, otherwise passing vehicles may risk getting stuck, Ellen Lewers, Sooke Fall Fair president, told council last week.
Sooke district staff will prepare a report addressing the proposal, which will be presented to council at next Monday’s council meeting.
