Tree clearing and excavation work are paving the way for $15 million in improvements to the Malahat highway.
Social Development Minister Don McRae and Parksville-Qualicum MLA Michelle Stilwell were at the Malahat Summit rest area this morning to provide details about the improvements, the challenging construction, and how it will affect up to 22,000 motorists who travel the corridor every day.
“I drive the Malahat frequently so I appreciate these safety improvements, especially the addition of a median barrier,” Stilwell said in a news release.
The upgrades will be made to a notorious stretch of the Malahat highway called NASCAR Corner because of drivers who race to pass slower motorists, sometimes crashing as a result.
Last month, the Times Colonist reported an $8.3-million contract was awarded to Dawson Construction Ltd. to install median barriers along 2.3 kilometres of the highway from Shawnigan Lake Road to the Malahat summit.
The work includes widening the highway, extending a southbound passing lane by one kilometre and improving the Whittaker Road and Holker Place intersections.
The plan also calls for two U-turn areas at either end of the stretch.
Once the trees are cleared and excavation work is completed this summer, rock blasting to widen the road and paving will begin. The median barrier is expected to be added in the fall with all of the upgrades expected to be completed by the spring.
Critics say the improvements don’t go far enough.
Once the entire project is completed, there will be median barriers along more than 50 per cent of the Malahat.
The total $15-million cost of the project includes design, engineering, supervision and property acquisition.
The construction will be challenging because of the narrowness of the corridor, which has a rock face on one side and a cliff on the other. About three metres of road needs to be added, for instance, to accommodate a median barrier.
The Transportation Ministry said the contractor is committed to minimizing traffic problems by scheduling construction on off-peak travel hours. However, delays should be expected.
With a file from Lindsay Kines
