With heavier volumes of summer traffic flowing over the Malahat, the ministry of transportation and infrastructure has eliminated stoppages for motorists travelling on that portion of the Trans-Canada Highway on Fridays.
But will it be enough to keep traffic moving? So far, drivers are skeptical.
#malahat now backed up from Shawnigan turnoff all the way into Goldstream Park #yyjtraffic @SoniaFurstenau pic.twitter.com/ZSLyXrE4O4
— Malahat Drive (@malahatdrive) July 28, 2017
Travelling a ripping 2 1/2 km an hour over the Malahat.#yyjtraffic
— Lauranne (@LauranneGT) July 28, 2017
#yyjtraffic hwy 1 at Leigh at 12:33 pm. Already backing up to Spencer exit. Made it to Westshore left turn 12:45 pm pic.twitter.com/Lg0lpY5dlN
— Karen Bill (@KarenFBill) July 28, 2017
Last Friday motorists reported delays of roughly two hours, with reports on social media detailing the extensive lineup of bumper to bumper traffic.
The ministry released a statement Thursday noting delays of approximately 30 minutes are expected during the coming weeks while crews work on safety improvements through the Malahat Village.
“Drivers can still expect intermittent closures of up to 5 minutes overnight 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. and during the day outside of the key commuter times from Monday through Thursday. While the majority of work is taking place outside of peak travel periods, certain activities such as blasting need to be done safely during daylight hours.”
The roadway is also restricted to one lane in each direction when crews are not working due to the risk of falling rock, trees and other debris from the slopes.
For more information on current road conditions go to drivebc.ca.