Highway 17 — McTavish Interchange Project
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Improving Access to Victoria International Airport
Enhancing Transit Opportunities on the Saanich Peninsula
NEW!
With preliminary construction expected to begin in mid-to-late November 2009, more than 400 people attended a public open house on Thursday, October 22, at the Saanich Peninsula Presbyterian Church to view plans for the new McTavish Road Interchange. See the Community Consultation page for details, including downloadable versions of the information displays.
The Ministry is proceeding with the detailed design and construction of 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 is expected to begin in mid-to-late November 2009 with the placement of “preload” material to compress soft soils. This work will require the closure of McTavish Road between the Pat Bay Highway and Lochside Drive and a portion of Canora Road between McTavish Road and Rideau Avenue for the duration of construction. Work is to be completed by March 2011. A temporary traffic signal will replace the four-way stop at McTavish Road and East Saanich Road to help manage the re-routed traffic. Signage will be posted and public notifications will be issued in advance of the construction start. (See the “Construction Traffic Management” display from the October 22 open house on the Community Consultation page for further details.)
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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