Work on the Keating Cross Road flyover project is ramping up, but its final design and budget remain unknown.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said in a statement to the Peninsula News Review that government will give final funding approval and detail the scope of the work later in the fall.
Public engagement concluded in late March on the project, which is now in the detailed engineering and design phase. Crews are conducting geotechnical drilling, with construction expected to be underway by the end of the year.
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The planned flyover would eliminate left turns across highway traffic onto Keating Cross Road for northbound traffic. Plans also call for a realigned southbound on-ramp from Keating, new bus-on-shoulder facilities supporting long-term plans for rapid transit on Highway 17, and the widening of Keating Cross Road down to Central Saanich Road to better accommodate pedestrians.
The project has also received criticism for being inadequate to handle traffic loads and ensure safety. Critics predict that it would lead to more traffic going past Keating Elementary School.
While Ottawa has put more than $16 million toward this project, the provincial government is still finalizing its share after reviewing the business case. Central Saanich has committed $2.5 million.
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