Work will get underway this summer on upgrades to Otter Point Road and Highway 14 through Sooke to make these roads safer for people walking and cycling in the area.

“We’re placing an emphasis on active transportation and public transit as we upgrade roads in the Sooke area,” said Premier John Horgan, MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca. “By encouraging walking, cycling and public transit use, we can help make Sooke’s commercial centre even more vibrant.”

Two kilometres of Otter Point Road will be widened and resurfaced between the Sooke municipal boundary and Kemp Lake Road. The work includes widening and paving the existing shoulders and improving the road’s alignment.  

A construction contract for the $4.5-million project has been awarded to Scansa Construction Ltd. of Victoria. Work will begin later this month and is expected to be completed in spring 2021.

“These improvements to Highway 14 and Otter Point Road are making travel easier for people who live in and around Sooke,” said Claire Trevena, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “Adding better walking and cycling infrastructure will help build safe, healthy and active communities where people choose to leave the car at home when they go into town.”

On Highway 14 through Sooke’s town centre, new concrete and paving-stone sidewalks will be installed between Otter Point Road and Atherley Close, bus pull-outs will be built and a new crosswalk will be installed near Ed MacGregor Park and the Gateway Trail.

“We’re partnering with the Province on this project, which will make the Sooke town centre more welcoming to pedestrians and safer for cyclists,” said Maja Tait, mayor, District of Sooke. “By making our commercial centre more pedestrian-friendly and accessible, we’re supporting local businesses and helping to strengthen our local economy.”

A construction contract has been awarded to Ramida Enterprises of Sooke. Work will begin later this month and is expected to be completed this fall. The project is valued at $1.2 million, which includes a $200,000 contribution from the District of Sooke.

Provincial construction sites have protocols and policies in place following the requirements of the provincial health officer to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. These include reducing in-person meetings or gatherings, holding meetings outdoors and ensuring physical distancing of workers throughout the work day. These measures, along with other work protocols, such as daily cleaning and sanitizing of common areas and surfaces, will help ensure worker and public safety.

Quick Facts:

• These projects are the last of the suite of Highway 14 corridor improvements, announced in January 2018, to get underway.
• The other projects, all completed, include three new transit pull-outs and a queue-jump lane on Highway 14, a new two-lane bridge on Gillespie Road, Sooke River Road intersection upgrades, a slow-moving vehicle pull-out east of Muir Creek and a new Sombrio rest area.

Learn More:

More information on the Otter Point Road shoulder-widening project, Sooke town centre pedestrian enhancements and Highway 14 corridor improvements is available online: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/transportation-infrastructure/projects/highway-14

For travel restrictions and precautions due to COVID-19, visit: http://ow.ly/jBGu50yVMRO

For the most up-to-date highway travel information, visit @DriveBC on Twitter or: www.DriveBC.ca