I think it is long overdue for the B.C. government to make an alternate highway from Victoria to Duncan. Last week’s closure (because of an accident on a single lane traffic road, which is the only road into the capital city of Victoria) was ridiculous.
I live 25 minutes from Victoria, and (I along with my 91-year-old mother) had to drive the circle route through Port Renfrew, for three hours (we both sleep with CPAPS, so staying the night was out of question). We were joined by hundreds of others that drove the circle route, bumper to bumper, perilously navigating the donkey trails, that are mistakenly called roads. This circle route is scenically beautiful, however the road is atrocious at best. Lumps, bumps, twists, turns and single lane bridges about 10 or more.
That is poor emergency management planning, and neglect by the government to ensure the safety of drivers on the road.
I must add that I would love to see all high levels of government officials have to drive this circle route with hundreds of others, bumper to bumper, to understand. What a nightmarish ride.
We need a shorter alternate route, ASAP. Whether that means working in conjunction with the Capital Regional District to acquire land or work on a way to open a route from Shawnigan Lake to Sooke Road, or just build a secondary highway so that in the event of an accident the rest of the Island and Victoria are not cut off from each other ever again.
Pathetic really. It does not portray itself as a capital city with dinky little roads. If the “Big One” does happen, Victoria will be cut off from the entire Island. What then? The people of Vancouver Island deserve safer roads.
Lila Vaccher
Mill Bay
