Construction will be starting overnight on the Colquitz River Bridges in Saanich, as part of a provincial project to add bus lanes and seismically upgrade the bridges.
Initial construction on the Colquitz River Bridges, which are the bridges that go over Burnside Road on the Trans-Canada Highway, will take place five nights a week between 8 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. starting on June 4. There will be no work on Friday or Saturday nights.
The northbound right lane of the eastbound Colquitz Bridge will be closed as part of the work, and while the lane is closed the maximum vehicle width that can use the bridge is 3.5 metres.
The speed limit will be reduced to 50 km/h at all times while the work is underway.
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When initially announced, the province said the estimated cost for the project is $35.5 million and is expected to be complete by fall 2025.
Currently, on that stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway, heading towards the West Shore there is a bus lane that ends at the bridge, then immediately starts again after. Heading into Victoria there is a bus lane that starts right after the bridge.
The B.C. government says this project will remove a “key pinch point” in the transit corridor on the Trans-Canada Highway.
In addition to the work on the bridge, the province says there will be environmental improvements to support habitat in and around Colquitz River, including a new bridge-deck drainage system to filter roadway runoff, removing non-native and invasive species to and replacing them with native trees and vegetation.
Laura Brougham
