Highway 17 — McTavish Interchange Project
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Improving Access to Victoria International Airport
Enhancing Transit Opportunities on the Saanich Peninsula
NEW!
Canora Road closure delayed by 10 days
Canora Road will be closed between McTavish Road and Rideau Avenue from February 5 2010, until Spring 2011. Motorists travelling to the airport should follow McTavish to East Saanich Road, turn north and take the airport exit from the roundabout.
Access to the Park & Ride and transit exchange will be maintained until the new Park & Ride location on the south side of McTavish Road is available for use in early March.
McTavish Road between Highway 17 and Lochside Drive will remain closed until Spring 2011. See the Construction Updates page for further information.
The Ministry is constructing a grade-separated interchange to improve safety, enhance transit and improve access to the Victoria International Airport at Highway 17 (Patricia Bay Highway) and McTavish Road.
Construction began November 30, 2009 with preparations for the placement of “preload” material to compress soft soils. The new interchange is to be substantially completed and in service by March 2011.
This work has caused the closure of McTavish Road between Highway 17 and Lochside Drive, which will remain in effect until Spring 2011. Access to the Pat Bay Highway will be maintained via Amity Drive (right turns to/from northbound Highway 17 only), Mt. Newton Cross Road (all movements), and Beacon Avenue in Sidney (all movements). See the Construction Updates page for further information on this closure and the closure of Canora Road between McTavish Road and Rideau Avenue to begin approximately February 5, 2010.
(NOTE: An east-west connection between Lochside Drive and the west side of Highway 17 will be maintained for pedestrians and cyclists throughout construction.)
The new interchange will include major improvements to the transit facilities including an expanded park and ride, transit exchange and other enhancements (including accommodation of Rapid Bus service). The interchange will also accommodate cyclists and pedestrians, and improve access to BC Ferries and the rest of the local road network. Reduced idling from stop-and-go traffic, along with greater transit usage, will result in more efficient energy use to yield better air quality with reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
UPDATED DESIGN: Community input has contributed to significant improvements during the detailed design process. Facilities for pedestrians and cyclists are safer and more direct than reflected in the earlier design.
(Click image for full-size graphic)
The interchange plan reflects the principles of the Highway 17 Corridor Strategy completed in 2007, the Provincial Transit Plan, and changes arising from the consultation process as described here.
Total project cost is estimated at approximately $24 million, cost-shared by the Government of British Columbia ($10.5 million), Government of Canada ($10.5 million) and the Victoria Airport Authority ($3 million).
Through consultations with key stakeholders and the public both before and since the project announcement, the design has evolved to further improve access to the local road network, enhance access to transit services (including planned Rapid Transit ), and provide better, safer connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists.
Check this site for progress updates and information on public open houses.
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