The province is in the midst of negotiations with Central Saanich landowners to acquire parts of 17 properties for the construction of the $76.8 million Keating flyover project.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said it is working with property owners and expects to acquire the land before it puts the flyover project out to tender in the fall.
In a statement, ministry staff said the acquisitions include two entire parcels of land and partial slices of 15 other sites.
The Highway 17 and Keating Cross Road flyover project will replace the northbound left turn onto Keating Cross Road with a separated overpass, designed to improve access for businesses and residents and make the highway safer.
The project will also realign the southbound on-ramp to Victoria, widen Keating Cross Road and add sidewalks.
The ministry said the final design is nearing completion and the project tender is expected to be posted this fall. Construction is expected to be complete by spring 2025.
The ministry said it will still be able to tender the project if not all property is acquired by the fall deadline.
The flyover design was chosen over a full interchange because it has the smallest footprint of the available design options and would require the least amount of land in the agricultural land reserve, it said.
The budget of $76.8 million is up sharply from the estimated $44.3 million cost announced in 2019, due to the increased cost of land procurement and construction materials, the ministry said.
The province is contributing $57.6 million of the total project cost, with $16.7 million coming from the federal government and Central Saanich contributing $2.5 million.
The ministry said 93 per cent of its projects have been delivered at or below cost over the past year due to budgeting that reflects current market conditions.
The ministry said it does not anticipate budget increases for any major projects underway on Vancouver Island.
