The Government of British Columbia is moving ahead with its commitment to protect families and commuters, as well as commercial and tourism traffic, with more safety improvements on the Malahat.

An $8.3-million contract has been awarded to Dawson Construction Ltd. to carry out the next round of safety improvements. This work includes widening the highway and installing 2.3 kilometres of median barrier from Shawnigan Lake Road north to the Malahat Summit.

This will improve safety in an area known to locals as NASCAR Corner. The work also will include constructing a one-kilometre southbound passing-lane extension and improving Whittaker Road and Holker Place intersections.

Work is expected to begin in May and finish next spring. When this section is complete, more than 50% of the Malahat will be protected with median barrier.

This $15-million project was announced in October 2013 to further improve the safety of the Malahat. Including this project, the government has invested more than $33 million to improve the Malahat since 2001.

These improvements were identified in the 2012 Malahat Corridor study, and were also identified as a priority by the Malahat Advisory Group, which includes local residents, commuters, first responders and safety advocates.

Future improvements on the Malahat will be considered in the development of the Vancouver Island Transportation Plan, which will look at ways to improve the safe and reliable movement of goods and people by land, rail, air and sea on the Island. Consultation for this plan is expected to start in the coming months. The Vancouver Island Transportation Plan will be part of the provincewide, 10-year transportation plan. This plan will outline the government’s vision and priorities for the next decade.

Quote:

Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Todd Stone - 

“The Malahat is the main transportation corridor on Vancouver Island with more than 22,000 motorists traveling it every day. Improving the safety is a priority for this government. These new safety improvements mean more than half of the Malahat will have median barriers, protecting the movement of people and goods.”

Learn More:

A high-resolution map of the construction project is available at: https://flic.kr/p/mYjGZ8

The 2012 Malahat Corridor Study is available at: http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/publications/reports_and_studies/Malahat_Highway_Safety_Improvements_201203.pdf

Media Contacts:

Lisanne Bowness
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
250 387-5710