Thursday, December 7, 2023 – Two different roadwork activities will be undertaken next week on Monday, December 11 and Tuesday, December 12 near Sooke’s town core:
- boring on Highway 14 from Phillips Road to Church Road will occur from approximately 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day; and
- paving, weather permitting, on Throup Road will occur from approximately 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each day, with Wednesday, December 13 as a potential date for work if weather adversely affects activities earlier in the week.
The boring is to complete soil sampling in advance of a water main replacement project with a lane shift in effect. While we understand traffic flow is expected to be maintained for travel in both directions on Highway 14, some slowdowns should be expected with crews working in the area.
For the Throup Road paving, Throup will be closed at Church. Please avoid the area, if possible.
We recognize that road works are disruptive and impact people’s days. The District is prioritizing implementing the Transportation Master Plan to assist with managing traffic on local roads as resources allow.
To maximize available resources, we are seeking as many grants as possible to assist with the funding impacts of these capital projects. Earlier this week, we were thrilled to share the news of our most recent successful active transportation funding application. The District is receiving $1.3 million in funding from the federal government to help us realize Little River Pedestrian Crossing.
More on Little River Crossing
Mayor Tait shares her enthusiasm for what this project means for Sooke:
“The bridge and associated trails for Little River Crossing will provide critical infrastructure to connect residents in the Sunriver neighbourhood with the Sooke town centre and nearby schools. The crossing will offer safe and efficient travel over Little River (Demamiel Creek) drastically improving residents’ ability to reach desired destinations including schools, local businesses and recreation amenities.
In facilitating this instrumental connectivity, the project will support alternative modes of transportation — transforming an 8-kilometre round-trip drive on Highway 14 to an approximately 1-kilometre round-trip walk or roll to school for students.
The crossing, initially recommended by the Parks and Trails Advisory Committee (2016) and supported through Capital Regional District Active School Planning (Journey – 2018, Poirier – 2018, Sooke – 2021) and the District of Sooke’s Parks and Trails Master Plan (2020), is the result of the District’s steadfast commitment to increase community connectivity and make getting around Sooke safer.”
While we recognize Little River Crossing will not be realized tomorrow (aiming for substantial completion by fall 2025), having it on the horizon as a mechanism to alleviate vehicle congestion on Highway 14 is welcome news for our community!
Contact:
- Highway 14, Provincial Jurisdiction (Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure): 250-952-4515
- Local roads, District of Sooke: 250-642-1634
Related:
- Transportation Master Plan: Implementation | Let’s Talk Sooke
- Federal government supports active transportation infrastructure upgrades in Sooke
- Traffic Advisories (sooke.ca)