Highway 14 projects well underway near Sooke

SOOKE, B.C. — Work on $85.7 million in upgrades to Highway 14 near Sooke, B.C. are well underway, officials announced.

“Highway 14 connects people to school, work and public transit, as well as important attractions and services on Vancouver Island,” said Catherine McKenna, federal minister of infrastructure and communities, in a release. “This ongoing work will improve road safety to make it easier for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists to get around, whether they’re commuting or staying active.”

The work includes resurfacing 11 kilometres of Highway 14 west of Sooke between Otter Point Road and Woodhaven Road. Crews will also add paved shoulders. Hazelwood Construction from Nanaimo was hired to do the project which is expected to be complete in summer 2022.

The contract for the Glinz Lake Road to Connie Road realignment and widening was awarded to Windley Contracting Ltd., also from Nanaimo. For this portion of the upgrades, crews will realign this stretch of Highway 14 and expand it to four lanes. Construction began in November 2020, with completion expected at the end of summer 2022.

Crews will also be installing a median barrier along the highway between Manzer Road and the Neil Creek Bridge located to the east of Connie Road. Other work includes:

• A new park and ride will be built at Highway 14 and Gillespie Road to make public transit through this corridor more efficient and convenient. It includes an interchange with a new connection to Connie Road, 50 parking stalls and new eastbound and westbound bus bays. The new Gillespie Road park and ride is within cycling distance of the Galloping Goose Regional Trail.
• A new pedestrian underpass will be built east of the new intersection at Glinz Lake Road and Polymede Place to make crossing Highway 14 safer and support active transportation in the region.
• A new road between Manzer Road and Gillespie Road and between Connie Road and Gillespie Road will provide a low-speed and low-traffic volume connection between local sideroads for local residents.