Work on a $54.5-million project that will add dedicated bus lanes to improve transit service from downtown to the West Shore is starting early in the new year.
Close to four kilometres of the Trans-sa国际传媒 Highway between the McKenzie interchange and the Six Mile area in Colwood will be widened to accommodate lanes for bus travel, both southbound and northbound.
The contract for the Highway 1 bus-on-shoulder-lanes project has been awarded to Jacob Bros. Construction.
Completion is expected by the late fall of 2027.
The goal of the bus-on-shoulder lanes is to ensure buses aren’t affected by highway congestion, the Ministry of Transportation and Transit said.
The project includes a new walking and cycling bridge for the Galloping Goose Trail crossing at Craigflower Creek, environmental work, upgraded bus stops on Helmcken Road, and realignment for Portage Road, ramps and roadside barriers.
“We know everyone needs a commute they can count on to and from work, home and school — especially between our busy south Island communities,” Transportation and Transit Minister Mike Farnworth said. “Dedicated bus lanes make travel easier for everyone on the road and will make transit the obvious choice.”
Esquimalt-Colwood MLA Darlene Rotchford said the project is “an important step” and will save people time, fuel and money.
The bus lanes will be used by the high-frequency Route 95 Blink RapidBus service, which was launched in April 2023 between Langford and downtown Victoria. It follows the old Route 50 but makes fewer stops. Route 95 has a 7.5-minute frequency during peak times and 10 to 15 minutes during non-peak.
