SOOKE – Crews are making progress on improvements to Highway 14 near Sooke, which will contribute to safer and easier travel for people who live and work in the area.

“Highway 14 connects people to school, work and public transit, as well as important attractions and services on Vancouver Island,” said the Honourable Catherine McKenna, federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities. “This ongoing work will improve road safety to make it easier for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists to get around, whether they’re commuting or staying active. Canada’s infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country and builds stronger communities.”

As part of this project, 11 kilometres of Highway 14 are being resurfaced west of Sooke between Otter Point Road and Woodhaven Road, with paved shoulders added where none currently exist. The contract was awarded to Hazelwood Construction from Nanaimo. Construction began in September 2020 and is expected to be complete in summer 2022.

“As the only direct connection from the West Shore to Sooke and communities beyond, thousands of people rely on Highway 14 every day,” said Premier John Horgan, MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca. “This investment in Highway 14 improvements allows us to travel safely, contributes to accessible public transit and supports active transportation in the region.”

The contract for the Glinz Lake Road to Connie Road realignment and widening was awarded to Windley Contracting Ltd., also from Nanaimo. Crews will realign this section of Highway 14 and widen it to four lanes, making it safer and easier for drivers to navigate. Construction began in November 2020, with completion expected at the end of summer 2022.

“These improvements to Highway 14 will shorten commute times, improve safety and add better connections to public transit,” said Rob Fleming, B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. “As a growing region that relies on a safe, reliable highway for access, investments such as this will help make Sooke and its surrounding communities more accessible, now and for future generations.”

For the Glinz Lake Road to Connie Road project, a median barrier will be installed along the highway between Manzer Road and the Neil Creek Bridge located to the east of Connie Road. In addition: 

• A new park and ride will be built at Highway 14 and Gillespie Road to make public transit through this corridor more efficient and convenient. It includes an interchange with a new connection to Connie Road, 50 parking stalls and new eastbound and westbound bus bays. The new Gillespie Road park and ride is within easy cycling distance of the Galloping Goose Regional Trail.
• A new pedestrian underpass will be built east of the new intersection at Glinz Lake Road and Polymede Place to make crossing Highway 14 safer and support active transportation in the region.
• A new road between Manzer Road and Gillespie Road and between Connie Road and Gillespie Road will provide a low-speed and low-traffic volume connection between local sideroads for local residents. 

These projects represent a total government investment of $85.7 million, with the Government of Canada contributing up to $30.2 million through the New Building Canada Fund’s Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component-National and Regional Projects and the Government of British Columbia providing the balance of $55.5 million.

Drivers are asked to obey construction zone speed limits and follow the direction of traffic control personnel. For the most up-to-date information, check: DriveBC.ca

Provincial construction sites have protocols and policies in place following the requirements of the provincial health officer to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. These measures include physical distancing and other protocols to ensure worker and public safety. The ministry will work closely with the contractors and WorkSafeBC to ensure health and safety are maintained for all workers on site.

Quotes:

Maja Tait, mayor, District of Sooke –

“The District of Sooke is pleased to see the Province moving forward with these necessary upgrades to Highway 14. Improvements to this essential corridor will increase safety and enhance usability for everyone, including pedestrians, cyclists, transit users and motorists. Ministry staff should be commended for their engagement efforts and for incorporating improvements they heard from Sooke residents, such as the Manzer Road to Gillespie Road connector. We are grateful for the provincial response to our advocacy efforts and look forward to continuing our work together.”

Susan Brice, chair, Victoria Regional Transit Commission –

“It is encouraging to see the Province of B.C. and the Government of Canada continuing to invest in public transit. These improvements and enhancements will contribute to providing efficient and sustainable transportation solutions for our Sooke customers for years to come.”

Learn More:

Highway 14 project page: www.gov.bc.ca/highway14

The 2014 New Building Canada Fund: Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component - National and Regional Projects: https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca//plan/nrp-pnr-prog-eng.html

For the most up-to-date highway travel information, check: www.DriveBC.ca
Or follow @DriveBC on Twitter.

A backgrounder follows.

Highway 14 is an essential connection for people and the economy on southern Vancouver Island.

Since 2017, the provincial government has been investing in upgrades to Highway 14 to boost safety, reduce congestion and keep people moving within the corridor.

Improving transit access and reliability:

• Three bus pullouts were added on both sides of Highway 14, at the West Shore Parkway and at Laidlaw Road and at Harbourview Road. With these upgrades, buses can move fully out of the travel lane. This allows traffic to continue to flow, lowers the risk of collision and provides a safe area for transit users as they enter and exit the buses (completed 2018).
• An eastbound transit queue-jump lane at the Highway 14/Jacklin Road intersection was added. The queue jump places buses in a priority position for re-entering traffic, reducing delays for transit users during congested morning periods (completed 2019).

New and improved infrastructure:

• The four-way intersection at Highway 14 and Sooke River Road, which included safer sidewalks in front of Edward Milne Community school and new accesses to the T’Souke Nation commercial development (completed 2019).
• The Sombrio rest area with washrooms and picnic tables (completed 2018).
• A slow-moving vehicle pullout east of Muir Creek (completed 2018).
• A two-lane bridge on Gillespie Road at Roche Cove, providing an alternative route to Highway 14 (completed 2019).

New street lighting:

• New and upgraded lighting at every major intersection between West Shore Parkway and Sooke (Church Road) for enhanced safety, especially at night or in poor weather conditions (completed 2018).