The province is exploring building another 1.5 kilometres of median dividers on the south Malahat near Goldstream Park.
Engineering work is scheduled to start early in 2019 and will explore building an additional 1.5 kilometres of median barriers north of the West Shore Parkway to just north of Finlayson Arm Road, the province said in a news release.
The news came as the province announced the completion of highway improvements from Shawnigan Lake Road to Aspen Road.
The $34-million Malahat village safety improvements that have been completed include:
• expanding five kilometres of highway to four lanes with wider shoulders
• installing three kilometres of median barrier
• providing improved and safer highway access
The project completion means that 65 per cent of the highway is now protected with a median barrier.
Premier John Horgan said the province will continue to look at options to keep traffic moving when crashes occur on the Malahat/Goldstream section of the highway.
Ministry of Transportation staff have been directed to explore the viability of a second route around the Malahat in case of an emergency, the government said. The ministry is analyzing the scope, location and size of a potential emergency route.
The province has issued a request for qualifications on the B.C. Bid website to assist with projects that will potentially explore future corridor widening, as well as safety, capacity and intersection improvements.
There could be sporadic lane closures from Shawnigan Lake Road to Aspen Road, during October to make minor adjustments and for site cleanup, the province said.
