Quote:
Originally Posted by Stingray2004
Yeah, Admirals/McKenzie/TCH #1 is certainly the next Victoria area priority. It was slated to be completed as part of the Island Highway project in the late 1990's but local public opposition at the time nixed that interchange.
Again, during the late 1980's, the then Socred government planned to convert the Pat Bay Highway into an expressway standard highway with upgrades of most existing intersections to interchanges.
BUT, it seems that the further west one goes in BC (read Van Isle), the more opposition to highway infrastructure one sees.  |
Admirals/McKenzie/TCH #1 was indeed included in the original "TCH #1 Victoria Approaches" project. In fact so was a fly-over at Spencer Road. Both were fully designed with land in place and included in original drawings (I worked on it).
However it was not local opposition that nixed them. It was cost overruns on the Inland Island highway section Between Parksville and Campbell River. They (Highway Constructors Limited) needed to cover ~$70 million in cost overruns, so they cancelled Admirals/McKenzie/TCH #1 and the Spencer fly-over.
As for the Pat Bay HWY. I have seen plans (conceptual) more recent than the socred days that converts the Pat Bay into full freeway from the BCF Terminal @ Swartz Bay to Blanchard/Ravine Way at a cost of ~500 million. Sidney council even voted for, and approved, a full interchange at Beacon! This is rumoured to have a possibility of going after the gateway project is complete in the LM. LOL.