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Metchosin Road set for extreme makeover

Improvements to better accommodate all road users
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Metchosin Road will be getting some improvements this fall. (Google Maps)

Rick Stiebel/News Gazette staff

Improvements in the works for a stretch of Metchosin Road will provide safer passage for students at two schools in Colwood.

Work is scheduled to begin in September on Metchosin Road to better accomodate pedestrians, cyclists, transit users and drivers.

The work includes adding a raised concrete sidewalk with pedestrian-oriented street lighting on the Royal Bay Bakery side of Metchosin Road from Lagoon Road to Hatley Drive, buffered bike lanes along both sides of that section, and a crosswalk with lighted signal near the transit stop at Dunsmuir Middle School.

Median islands to enhance safety in crosswalks and encourage drivers to maintain safe speeds are being added as well.

Colwood Mayor Carol Hamilton said the improvements will add an element of safety and sophistication to the area that is expected to get busier as the Royal Bay community grows. “These upgrades are especially important for students and families travelling to and from Sangster Elementary and Dunsmuir Middle School,” Hamilton said in a statement. “Drivers will also benefit when pedestrian and cyclists are safely separated from vehicle lanes.”

The project aims to improve the quality of life for people who live and travel through the area, and enable more people take the opportunity to be active and connect with their community when it’s enjoyable to walk or cycle, she added.

City staff conducted an on-site meeting with nearby residents when the project was proposed to enable them to review preliminary designs, ask questions and provide input.

Sandra Russell, the City’s communicaitons manager, noted some residents may be wondering about the September start date for this project.

“We recognize this road work will create some short term challenges. Unfortunately, the scheduling of many aspects of a project like this are outside the City’s control, such as availability of contractors and resources, services required from utility companies, grant funding approvals, and ultimately there would be some overlap with the school year no matter when the project began,” she said. “Unfortunately, it sometimes comes down to completing a project in the current budget year or bumping it all the way into the next year, which can make it difficult to move improvements forward.”

Federal gas tax funding makes up $346,000 of the $911,000 cost of the improvements, with the balance of $565,000 made available through Colwood’s community amenities amenities reserve fund. The City has also applied for a federal gas tax strategic priorities grant which, if approved, would cover the entire cost of the project.

Upgrades at the intersection of Metchosin and Lagoon roads are planned in the future as part of the Grove and Pacific Landing development agreements.

Visit colwood.ca/metchosinroad for more information.

reporter@goldstreamgazette.com