Work on the Keating overpass on the Pat Bay Highway has reached the halfway point, with steel girders that will support the central overpass due to be installed.
The highway will be closed overnight in both directions on three days for placement of the girders, the Transportation Ministry said: Thursday, July 25 from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., July 29 from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. and Aug. 7 from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
A detour route along Tanner Road, Central Saanich Road and Island View Road will be available during the planned closings. The Transportation Ministry said drivers should expect delays of up to 20 minutes, and vehicles that are more than 2.6 metres wide won’t be allowed on the detour route.
Completion of the $76.8-million overpass project, intended to prevent dangerous left turns across highway traffic onto Keating Cross Road, is on track to be finished next spring, the ministry said. The province is contributing $57.6 million, the federal government $16.7 million and Central Saanich $2.5 million to the project.
“It’s good news to certainly get to this milestone in the project,” said Central Saanich Mayor Ryan Windsor. “There’s a significant uptick in the activity towards completion.”
Windsor said he’s been spreading the word about the upcoming overnight closures to farmers as well as businesses that operate through the night in the Keating area.
“I’ve been trying to make everyone aware that if they are doing overnight shipping on a routine basis that there will be an impact.”
Windsor said the ministry consulted municipal staff in selecting the detour route.
Janelle Staite, deputy director for the south coast region, said the ministry has also been in discussions with B.C. Ferries about potential impacts of the detour on highway traffic.
The overpass features a “flyover” design that eliminates the need for a full interchange, chosen in part because it will take up as little land as possible within the Agricultural Land Reserve.
The work also includes the realignment of the southbound on-ramp and closing of highway access to East Saanich Road and Martindale Road. Keating Cross Road will be widened and sidewalks added.
“Queue jumper” lanes were previously added at the highway’s Mount Newton Cross Road intersection to allow buses to bypass congestion.
About 52,000 vehicles travel the highway each day.
