People are invited to comment on proposed safety improvements to the Patricia Bay Highway (Highway 17) northbound at Keating Cross Road.

Comments can be made on the proposed project until March 24, 2021.

Every hour, hundreds of drivers need to turn left across heavy traffic on Highway 17 to get onto Keating Cross Road, causing safety issues and traffic bottlenecks. As well, with projected population growth and planned industrial and commercial development in the area, traffic congestion is expected to increase.

To address these challenges, government is proposing a new "flyover" overpass from the Pat Bay Highway northbound to Keating Cross Road westbound, eliminating the left turn across highway traffic onto Keating Cross Road. The project will also include a realigned southbound on-ramp to the Pat Bay highway.

The project design will support future plans for bus rapid transit on the Pat Bay Highway.

Pedestrians and those who travel with the help of a mobility aid will benefit from new sidewalks on Keating Cross Road. These proposed design elements will make active transportation safer and easier for people in their daily lives.

The proposed flyover overpass project and associated upgrades will allow people to travel this busy corridor more safely and efficiently, while helping to promote regional economic growth.

The South Island Transportation Strategy, released by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure in September 2020, identified advancing work on the Keating Cross Road/Highway 17 project as a priority to improve safety and reliability.

A detailed discussion guide and story map for the Highway 17 Keating Flyover Project is available online.

To learn more about the proposed improvements and submit feedback via the project website, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/transportation-infrastructure/projects/highway-17-keating-cross-overpass.

The ministry will use the input received during this public engagement, as well as the input provided by stakeholders in meetings, to finalize its business case for the project.

The Government of Canada has committed more than $16 million to this project through the New Building Canada Fund, Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component—National and Regional Projects. The District of Central Saanich will contribute $2.5 million. The provincial government will finalize its investment for the project following the business case review.

Engineering work is taking place and people can expect to see workers on site.

Learn More:

For the discussion guide and online feedback form, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/transportation-infrastructure/projects/highway-17-keating-cross-overpass

For more information on federal infrastructure funding, visit: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca