Improvements on Highway 14 and Otter Point Road in Sooke are wrapping up, says B.C. Premier John Horgan.
They will make travel safer and easier for people driving, cycling, walking, and using transit the area, said Horgan, who also serves as MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca.
“I’m glad to see that Sooke’s commercial centre is becoming even more vibrant and accessible – with cyclists, pedestrians and those using transit already benefiting from upgrades.”
Improvements include the widening and resurfacing of a 1.7 k stretch of Otter Point Road between Sooke’s municipal boundary and Kemp Lake Road, as well as improving the road’s alignment, making better sight lines for drivers. Crews also upgraded the rural road to have 1.5 m paved shoulders to accommodate cyclists.
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Highway 14 was widened and resurfaced through Sooke’s town centre, and 600 metres of new sidewalk were installed between Otter Point Road and Ed MacGregor Park. A new crosswalk near the park and the Gateway Trail was added to improve pedestrian safety. The addition of two bus pull-outs improves transit connections and traffic flow.
The two projects, valued at $5.7 million, include a $200,000 contribution from the District of Sooke.
The projects are the last of Highway 14 corridor improvements announced in 2018, which included three new transit pull-outs, a queue-jump lane, a new two-lane bridge on Gillespie Road, as well as upgrades on Sooke River Road, a pull-out east of Muir Creek for slow-moving vehicles, and a new rest area at Sombrio.
Another project underway in Sooke involves realigning and widening Highway 14 from Glinz Lake Road to Connie Road, and resurfacing Highway 14 between Otter Point Road and Woodhaven Road, which is expected to be completed at the end of the summer of 2022.
Visit gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/transportation-infrastructure/projects/highway-14 for more information.
rick.stiebel@goldstreamgazette.com
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