The District of Sooke has released a statement to address growing concerns over what some residents are calling Sooke’s version of the Colwood Crawl.
“We understand that the Charters Road closure and the increase in congestion on Highway 14 are challenging,” the May 31 statement said. “There is no denying that delays can be frustrating and have a significant impact on daily life.”
The construction is necessary to respond to structural repairs and reopen the road to two lanes. The district has also secured grant funding for the scope of work to include active transportation infrastructure and add “highly requested” sidewalks, along with bike lanes, to the area.
“To keep the community informed, we are committed to providing bi-weekly updates and photos from the project site, highlighting the work completed and the progress made,” the statement continued.
In the meantime, residents can share comments with the district directly by email to info@sooke.ca.”
The statement also addressed some frequently asked questions to provide greater clarity on the current situation and said additional questions and answers will be provided in regular updates.
Regarding why the work doesn’t occur when school is out, the district said that due to environmental and cultural sensitivities in the area, there are limitations on when and how construction can take place, and prevent scheduling the work exclusively during school holidays.
Work cannot take place 24/7 because human resources as well as cost implications are key limitations.
“Safety concerns, while most can be mitigated, also pose limitations.” the statement said. “We are committed to working with the project contractor to minimize greater impacts as much as possible and will continue to keep you informed through our biweekly updates. Keep in mind that our transportation system involves multiple stakeholders.”
The work can’t proceed during the evening because there will not be a continuous road during this phase of construction. The road structure will be completely removed to allow for culvert removal and replacement, and rebuilding of the road. Should there be an opportunity to accommodate single-lane alternating traffic will be accommodated if the opportunity arises as the project progresses.
The reason the work on Charters Road is proceeding before the construction of the Throup connector is the district is currently in the design phase for the Throup connector.
“This project is identified for 2027 in our five-year financial plan.” the statement noted. “Cost is a significant challenge of this project given the topography of the site and this time is needed to secure sufficient funding.”
Funding will include a combination of sources, such as grants, casino reserve funds, road development cost charges, the community building fund, borrowing, and property taxation.
Residents who want to provide feedback on transit service, scheduling and capacity, and current and future initiatives for Highway 14 can respond to the agencies responsible directly by calling BC Transit: 250-385-2551, an the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure at Saanich.Ops@sooke.ca
The statement thanked the many residents who have written to the district to share their concerns.
“Your voices help enhance the advocacy work underway already,” the statement noted. “We are listening, and value your concerns and appreciate you sharing your experiences.”
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