As summer approaches, traffic cones and flaggers return to Vancouver Island roads as crews begin a wave of highway upgrades and bridge repairs aimed at easing congestion and boosting safety.
Dozens of government-funded roadworks will be underway June through October as part of an annual push to modernize the Island’s aging transportation infrastructure.
The largest project is a $95-million upgrade to Highway 1 between McKenzie Avenue and the Colwood interchange. Construction began earlier this year and will continue through 2027. Jointly funded by the federal and provincial governments, the project includes new bus-on-shoulder lanes to support B.C. Transit’s upcoming RapidBus service and reduce delays for West Shore commuters.
In Central Saanich, the long-anticipated Keating Cross Road flyover is nearly complete. The $76.8-million project will eliminate a dangerous northbound left turn onto Highway 17 by adding a new overpass and realigning highway ramps. It also features new sidewalks and transit facilities, and is expected to open to traffic this summer.
“We're moving forward on transportation projects that will make it safer and easier for people to get where they need to go, whether they're driving, cycling, walking, or taking transit," said B.C. Transportation and Transit Minister Mike Farnworth.
Several other major projects are set to impact travel across Greater Victoria.
On Highway 1 at the Colquitz River, a $35.5-million widening and seismic retrofit is underway. The twin bridges near Burnside Road West are being expanded to support continuous bus lanes, removing a long-standing bottleneck on the Trans-Canada Highway.
In Saanich’s Uptown area, the $20-million Ravine Way/Uptown Mobility Hub is on schedule for completion this summer. The project includes a new roadway, expanded bus infrastructure, upgraded intersections and crosswalks, and multi-use paths linking to the Galloping Goose Regional Trail.
Further up Island, work resumes this summer on Highway 19A in Parksville. The second phase of improvements near Resort Drive and Rathtrevor Beach includes extending a multi-use path toward the Englishman River Bridge to improve cycling and pedestrian access along the busy tourist corridor.
On Highway 4, repairs to Hydro Hill — about 14 kilometres east of the Tofino/Ucluelet junction — are scheduled to start in June. Drivers can expect single-lane alternating traffic 24 hours a day throughout construction.
Base repairs on the Pacific Rim Highway near Tofino are set to begin in August, with similar traffic conditions expected. That project, estimated to cost $3 million, will take four to six weeks to complete.
While not all costs have been released, all projects are publicly funded, most through partnerships between the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Canada.
Updates on traffic conditions, detours and construction timelines are available through DriveBC and municipal websites.
Farnworth said the investments are improving traffic flow, expanding transit access and supporting environmental goals.
“Each of these projects supports a more reliable, sustainable and connected transportation network — one that keeps people safe, supports communities and gets people moving more efficiently every day," he said.
