Actually, my dream dream for the Malahat is similar to what others have said here about building a new entire route and leaving the old one as a local access road.

The only difference is my plan would skip much of the Malahat altogether.

In one big project, I would love to see the Patricia Bay highway converted into a full freeway. Then, just before the highway 17A interchange a new 4 lane tolled expressway would branch of and begin. It would then cross the Saanich Inlet on a bridge and meet up with the original alignment of the Island Highway near Dougan Lake. From there north many sections of the original highway could be upgraded to freeway standards, but with the toll way bypassing around cities such as Duncan and Ladysmith.

Heading to the cottage in the Central Caribou from Edmonton tomorrow via 5/16. There were a bunch of widening projects going on during the summer.. I hope they're all wrapped up.

Going to be testing the limits of my poor little Toyota Tacoma on this one... got a 27HP garden tractor strapped onto a new boat trailer (loading that was fun) , along with an apartment size washer/dryer stacker and a new fridge, plus 1000SF of engineered hardwood and slate and a new IKEA kitchen loaded in the back.

I'm not too worried until the big hill at Little Fort. But that is going to be a slow drive up methinks

Yes, thanks, I have read that study. I was ONLY really talking about doing from Leigh Road interchange to just past the Goldstream park entrance as being urgent - needed right now - a relatively short stretch compared to the proposals in that Stantec report, so much less $$ :) I think they could do the lone interchange @ Westshore PKWY along with 4-5km of road widening (much of it already 3 lane) for ~100 million. The Westshore Parkway will be connected through to the Langford Parkway within the next 3 years.

To bring the Pat Bay up to freeway/expressway standards we are looking at big $$$ Probably similar in cost to the SFPR...

My dream for the Malahat? TUNNELS!

As much as I would like to see a magnificent suspension bridge over Saanich Inlet (or Finlayson arm) I recall land acquisition/access as being an issue with most of the previous proposals...in addition to the extreme cost of just the bridge :(

So for Vancouver Island I see the four most pressing transportation needs being:

The McKenzie Interchange! (forgot the first time LOL)

1. The Malahat Corridor (Leigh Rd to Bamberton - at least to expressway standard)

2/3/4. The Pat Bay Highway - to freeway

2/3/4. BC ferry service to/from the LM - lets not forget Tswassen-Swartz Bay is part of the TCH!

2/3/4. Nanaimo Parkway North

I will be curious to see what British Columbians in the Lower Mainland and Okanagan Valley will identify as their highest priorities. These will/should become the Provincial priorities over the next 10 years...hopefully. I think the needs of these three regions will hold the most weight, with of course most of the votes in the LM. The Island has been forgotten for two long! And 97 in the Valley needs some more $$ and the LM can always use a billion here or there - like for the Massey Tunnel replacement etc. ;)

You're probably right.

The bypass route being proposed is overkill in my opinion. It would be much cheaper to four lane. The current route already bypasses the town and adding two more lanes would do nothing to divide the town. As for property acquisition, if you look at satellite images there's only about 20 structures at the most that would need to be acquired. They plans are already in place, they just need to build it.
Edit: This map shows the highway as a four lane roadway: http://www.peachland.ca/cms/wpattach...326atID880.pdf

I use to think tunnels as well, but they seem even more expensive in Canada than bridges.

Also, building a bridge over the north end of the Saanich inlet would also be able to kill two birds with one stone, since highway 17 would be upgraded to freeway standards in my proposal. It just seems like a more logical direct route for Nanaimo / North Island to and from Victoria travel.

It also gives the ability to create a tollway easier while keeping the current route toll free.

Hmm, I see what you are saying, but I still feel this would be a golden opportunity to connect Peachland better with its waterfront.

I agree re: the bridge. It is a very logical choice, which is why it's proposed every few years - since I've lived here.

However it won't happen ... at least not in my lifetime. You see the property owners that live on either side of the inlet DON't want it .. too much traffic to disrupt their idyllic life you see :( Maybe they could strike a deal with the native bands on both sides of the inlet.... of course they'd want the toll ;)

I just dream of swiss-like tunnels :) We'd need another million people on the Island to justify the cost...

Unless you mean the metre wide strip south of downtown, I can't imagine being any more connected to the waterfront.

Another downside to the bypass that I'm hesitant to post as I'm unsure where I heard it, is that it would be too steep for trucks and they would need to go through town anyway. Take that with a grain of salt.

But a bypass could be Peachland's chance to take back their waterfront. If it is 4 lanned then that will seal its fate, also it is much more difficult to cross 4 lanes than 2 if going to the beach.

If you are on the Cariboo connector please snap some pics of the widening projects if you get a chance.

Good luck up the hill near Little Fort as well!

Galena/Shelter Bay Ferry
 

Here is a link to the Galena Bay/Shelter Bay fixed link: http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/publications...CostEst-R4.pdf. It is recently updated.

I see that a new ferry will soon arrive to service the route: http://www.arrowlakesnews.com/news/248467751.html, so maybe the fixed link is now dead.

Thanks for the Links Splash. Not only does the Galena Bay plan being updated make it look like a bridge is a go but I was there this summer and they are working on what seems to be overkill regarding the ferry approach from the Nakusp side. Just like the Big White turnoff seems way too big for what is currently there. Hmmmmm

A bypass leaves lots of potential for rezoning along the old route. There is some prime real estate for neat little shops or medium density residences.
And without all the through traffic, the road has wider shoulders than it needs, which could be switched to bike lanes, walkways, parking, or anything really.
It could almost be turned into a continuation of beach avenue in certain spots.

The possibilities are endless.
I think it would give the town a huge boost.

Also a bypass is more future proof. We can't know for sure that in a hundred years the okanagan won't have 2 million people. I like the idea planning for the future rather than the present.

I wonder what the results of the study will be. Hopefully bypassing West Kelowna too. That one way couplet downtown is ridiculous. If they could at least establish and protect ROW for the future road that would be great. 100 km standard at least. This would be far more progressive that Vernon saying NO to a bypass route.

On another note, where do people think the BC government 10 year plan is going to see investments? I for one would like to see the Kicking Horse Canyon have the final phase completed. I know it would be a very big chunk of change shared by the Feds and province. They've also already tackled many of the bridges between Kamloops and the Alberta border. With some good investment they could actually realize 4 lane completion from Kamloops to the AB border. It fits right into their mandate to keep BC moving.

4 lanes from Kamloops to AB would be great - I hope to see it completed in my lifetime.

Growing up in the south Okanagan and making countless trips to Alberta I am glad to see the improvements already made. The completed sections in the Kicking Horse Canyon area are a vast improvement to the previous goat trail. I wish that back in the day governments committed, say 200-250 000 in today's dollars annually to improve the Kamloops-Alberta section of Hwy 1. If they started that in the 80s or 90s the whole section would have been 4 laned outside of the canyon. I think that last phase is estimated to be a billion dollar fix.

^Anything new to report on the Kicking Horse Canyon project?
It's been quiet for a couple of years it seems.

I suspect nothing will be announced until the results of the 10-year infrastructure survey are released.

I remember traveling on that goat-trail as a kid. The upgrades that have happened are fantastic. Too bad the last section still remains and is the most expensive section to upgrade.

Why would they wait for the survey to be released? This has nothing to do with that. And does the last phase still include the interchange