A pilot traffic calming project along Prospect Lake Road near Calvert Park convinced the District of Saanich to make the change permanent.
At the recommendation of a road safety audit completed in the area in March, the district installed a temporary, 70-metre one-way lane along Calvert Park to test the concept of narrowing the road to slow traffic on Prospect Lake Road. Plastic bollards reduced the road to one lane and drivers had treat the stretch like a single-lane bridge – yielding to oncoming traffic.
READ ALSO: Safety audit of Saanich’s Prospect Lake Road greenlights traffic calming, speed-reduction measures
The temporary single lane stretch was installed in August after the district announced a slew of traffic calming measures for the road – an area Mayor Fred Haynes referred to as an “accident-prone corridor.” The road safety improvements were based on recommendations from the road safety audit and requests from residents over the past 20 years.
READ ALSO: Roadside barriers, amphibian fencing to be installed along Prospect Lake Road
“We know from talking to residents in the area that safety on their roads is a top priority,” Haynes said. “The traffic calming results have been well received and we are proceeding with the permanent installation.”
He added that the rumble strips in the 4000-block of Prospect Lake Road and 30 km/h speed reduction from Estelline Road to Goward Road are also permanent changes.
In order to make the single lane permanent, the district will replace the plastic bollards with concrete barriers and install reflective lane markings, overhead streetlights and signage. Prospect Lake Road will be closed at Calvert Park on Nov. 2 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for that work. Crews will be working in the area from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for the remainder of the construction period with no current estimated completion date.
READ ALSO: Rumble strips installed on Prospect Lake Road as part of Saanich’s safety improvement plan
Over the coming months, the district will assess the impact of the various traffic calming measures to determine if more should be implemented. Haynes predicts the changes will slow traffic on the overall route and add travel time which he hopes will result in more drivers opting to take the highway.
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