Friday, April 12, 2019 ~ VICTORIA/SAANICH & WEST SHORE
by Mary P Brooke ~ West Shore Voice News
The long-awaited McKenzie Interchange on Highway 1 now has a summer 2020 target completion date.
The rescheduling of completion from this fall to next summer was announced today by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI). That includes the loop ramp, pedestrian bridge, landscaping and transit facilities being completed by next summer.
Several factors have caused the timeline adjustment. Notably there was a loss of several weeks of construction time in February due to exceptional levels of snow and freezing temperatures. Construction crews have had to deal with working in wet conditions at various points during the project.
Also, out of consideration for residential neighbours there have been shortened work periods to avoid construction noise (including the beeping of trucks and equipment in reverse), especially at night.
As well, when digging deep into the soil for the interchange supports, an unexpected rock impediment was encountered which sent engineers back to the drawing board. “We encountered rock much sooner than anticipated,” said Janelle Staite, regional deputy director, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
As a result of discovering the “highly variable rock”, modifications were made to the overall design of the interchange’s new center pier. That pier will hold the bridge that will in future carry east and westbound traffic over the intersection.
Consideration for commuters to have relatively easy access through the construction site was another factor in slightly slowing down the project timeline.
The $85 million project will see a cost overrun due to the further construction time and additional design work. An exact revised budget figure in still being determined.
Staite told media today that this has been an exceptionally complex project dealing with commuter traffic considerations (vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians), environmental issues (including being near a park and a bird sanctuary), proximity to residential areas and a school. Technical and safety considerations have been attended to all the way along.
The McKenzie Interchange project has been organized in two phases. The first phase up to summer 2017 involved design and four rounds of public input. The current phase is about ‘the big dig’ to create depth for the interchange abutment supports and the installation of five piers for supporting the pedestrian structures.
The big crane will be moved off site soon.
Sound barriers and other structures are being installed along the side of the highway, with notable rock outcrops to remain in place on the retaining wall.
The signal light for traffic turning left onto McKenzie Avenue (heading into Saanich) will continue to operate up until completion of construction, though it may be relocated slightly in the next while.
While the overall project is six months behind the original schedule the second and final construction contract for the McKenzie interchange project is 50% complete. Staite says that the eventual results — speedier commutes for vehicles and those taking bus transit as a result of non-stop traffic flow — will be worth the additional wait.
“The project will save commuters travelling from the downtown core to the western communities an estimated 20 minutes,” it was stated by MOTI today. Anywhere from 17 to 22 minutes is the range.
Eliminating the traffic signals is a big part of the time saving for the approximately 85,000 vehicles that utilize that stretch of Highway 1 through McKenzie/Admirals. “It’s a commuter corridor. Drivers are familiar with the route,” said Straite, who adds that time savings will be particularly good in winter.