Ash Road is slated to receive a slew of upgrades this fall including a new concrete roadside barrier and a realigned centre-line.
The wooden barrier along Ash Road at Douglas Creek was damaged in 2018 after a motorist struck it, though it was already slated to be upgraded to a concrete barrier, said Saanich spokesperson Adam Flint.
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The district plans to implement several changes including widening the roadway, replacing the wooden barrier with a concrete barrier, realigning the centre line to create 3.2 metre lanes across Douglas Creek and adding new signage to the area, he said.
… This will include replacing what's left of the old barrier with a concrete one and realignment of the centre line.
— Friends of Mount Douglas Park (@MountDougPark) October 28, 2020
Darrell Wick, president of the Friends of Mount Douglas Park Society, hopes the upgrades will make the area safer for all road users – specifically cyclists for whom the area had been dangerous.
“I’m scared when I go through there,” he said, noting that the westbound lane is just wide enough that some drivers attempt to pass cyclists which has resulted in some close calls.
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Wick pointed out that while the improvements at Douglas Creek “won’t fix all the Ash Road problems but will make it a little bit better.”
Weather permitting, Saanich crews will begin installing the upgrades in late November.
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