It won’t answer all the prayers of long-suffering commuters, but the province and federal government are putting $85 million into improvements for Sooke Road and the Trans-Canada Highway.
Kilometre by kilometre, roads in the region are being straightened and widened. It will make drivers and passengers safer, even if it doesn’t make traffic move faster in the long run.
The biggest transformation will be the realignment of Sooke Road near the 17-Mile Pub. The road will be pushed north, behind the pub, and the dangerous intersection where Gillespie Road meets Sooke at a sharp corner will be eliminated. Access to Gillespie will move to a less hazardous spot.
The biggest impact in terms of the number of drivers affected will be the widening of the Trans-Canada Highway to four lanes between the Leigh Road interchange and West Shore Parkway. Two people have died in recent months on that stretch. A wider road with permanent median barriers will save lives.
Other segments of highway will be widened for greater safety, and a park-and-ride will be added near Sooke and Gillespie. If that facility encourages more drivers to hop the bus, it will make the commute faster and safer for everyone.
Of course, all this is only part of a solution to the region’s traffic woes. Wider roads invariably fill up with cars within a few years.
A comprehensive plan, which governments are promising, means expanding transit and using the E&N corridor to move people more efficiently.
