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Spencer Road at TCH to get more barriers, fencing

Pedestrians still attempt to cross highway at closed intersection

While access from Spencer Road is barricaded to vehicles, that’s not stopping pedestrians from crossing the highway.

“The ministry has heard concerns from Langford about people crossing the highway at Spencer Road,” said Lisanne Bowness, senior public affairs officer.

Median barriers are in place in the highway with some fencing, but early in 2014 the Ministry of Transportation plans to add higher fencing.

“The median and fence combined will be almost eight feet, as a safety precaution for pedestrians,” said Bowness. “After Spencer Road closed, pedestrian crossings were monitored and over a two month period between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., on average, five people crossed the highway at Spencer Road a day.”

Langford has asked the Ministry of Transportation several times to provide a pedestrian overpass where crosswalks once were.

 

“Langford is asking the province to pay for this because it crosses a numbered

provincial highway,” said Michelle Mahovlich, Langford director of engineering.

 

The crosswalks closed in June when the Leigh Road interchange opened.

Pedestrians wanting to cross the Trans

Canada Highway must do so at the Leigh Road or Millstream Road interchanges.

 

 

“The ministry is committed to working with the City of Langford to assess and address pedestrian safety concerns,” said Bowness. “A pedestrian overpass at Spencer  Road was discussed during development of the project, however the ministry and the city agreed not to include it in the project.”

 

An overpass would cost about $2 million and Langford doesn’t have money allocated in its budget to build one.

“The city has made improvements to the pedestrian and cycling network between Leigh interchange and Millstream interchange,” said Bowness.

 

“For example, south of the Trans Canada Highway, bike lanes have been added to Goldstream between Spencer and Leigh and continuous sidewalk has been added between Spencer and Millstream. Also, there are now wide paved shoulders on Goldstream between Spencer and Leigh. North of the Trans Canada, the city has added sidewalks and bike lanes on Leigh and McCallum connecting to Spencer Road and there is improved signage for pedestrians and cyclists.”