A series of transportation-related projects in Colwood have either been completed recently or are scheduled for completion over the course of the next several months.
The City’s Painter Trail between Royal Bay secondary and the Wishart neighbourhood has been finished, in addition to some improvements at Herm Williams Park on Kelly Road.
Next on the City’s docket are upgrades along Metchosin Road, with both bike lane and sidewalk improvements on the horizon. The stretch is particularly important given its proximity to Sangster elementary and Dunsmuir middle school, and it’s a route that has seen added traffic due to last year’s opening of Royal Bay secondary.
“It’s a really important safe-routes-to-school project,” said Sandra Russell, communications manager with the City of Colwood. The current design calls for new sidewalks on one side of the road, where there weren’t any before, and bike lanes on both sides of the road. A crosswalk will also be installed near Dunsmuir.
“It’s really quite a big project,” Russell said, adding that the estimated completion date for those items is early 2017. “With all of the construction going on in the region, it’s been a challenge to get contractors.”
The City’s designs are still preliminary and the public’s input is welcome.
Tonight (Sept. 21) at 6:30 p.m., members of the public are invited to have a look at the City’s plans for Metchosin Road and provide input. The consultation will take place at Wickheim Park, next to the Lagoon Market on Metchosin Road.
“If people have (ideas) we can certainly consider incorporating them,” Russell said.
Other bike lane upgrades are planned for Wishart Road, along a section that includes Wishart elementary. Those should be in place later this fall.
A new crosswalk is also planned along Veterans Memorial Parkway at Havenwood Park, with completion scheduled for November.
joel.tansey@goldstreamgazette.com