Motorists heading west on Sooke Road will soon be able to access up-to-date information on road conditions, land closures and commuting delays.
Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Todd Stone announced Wednesday a new digital sign will be installed on Highway 14. The ministry will also begin a study to identify future priorities for improvements to the roadway.
The overhead sign will be located near Awsworth Road, approximately 500 metres west of the future connection to West Shore Parkway, and will face drivers heading towards Sooke.
Work on the project is expected to begin later this month and finish during the summer. The sign will cost roughly $250,000 and provide updates from the DriveBC traveller information system to the approximately 7,000 vehicles that travel from Langford to Sooke each day.
“The Highway 14 corridor is a critical link on southern Vancouver Island that serves a wide variety of people including commuters, commercial drivers, tourists and cyclists,” Stone said in a release. “In response to discussions with local community leaders, we will be looking at ways to improve this route and the new overhead sign is an important first step.”
CH2M Hill Canada Ltd. has been awarded the $130,000 contract to assess future improvements. This technical study will review current conditions and the performance of the highway, examine potential upgrades for both short and long term, and examine ways to promote transit use while encouraging cycling. The study is expected to begin this summer and the final report should be available in the spring of 2017.
Information from DriveBC is also available online at DriveBC.ca.
katie@goldstreamgazette.com