The Goldstream exit off the Trans Canada Highway in Langford is soon to be no more.
B次元官网网址淟angford has demonstrated an extraordinary and award-winning approach to community development,B次元官网网址� said Minister of Transportation Todd Stone said at MondayB次元官网网址檚 announcement of $2.5 million for improvements to the transportation infrastructure along Highway 1 through Langford, B次元官网网址渙ne which I believe is a model for cities right across the province and indeed the country,B次元官网网址� and one which the province is interested in supporting.
That $2.5 million will be matched by the city to complete the $5-million infrastructure project.
B次元官网网址淭he improvements being announced today will not only improve the safety for motorists, but will also improve traffic flow and will make travelling the route a much more pleasant experience for everyone,B次元官网网址� Stone said.
The focus of the project will be a southbound offramp at Leigh Road, but will also include a southbound acceleration lane from Westshore Parkway onto the highway. Once those upgrades are completed, the Goldstream Avenue and Spencer Road connections to the highway will be closed.
B次元官网网址淭he residents of Goldstream Avenue will feel a whole lot safer because of this announcement today,B次元官网网址� said Langford Mayor Stew Young, adding that itB次元官网网址檚 been a long time coming.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been 22 years trying to get this done,B次元官网网址� said Young, but there were other priorities that needed to be addressed B次元官网网址� specifically the Millstream interchange and the Leigh Road onramp.
B次元官网网址淭hose interchanges needed to be built before we could shut (Goldstream) down, because you have to have other access in. So now that weB次元官网网址檒l have an offramp at Leigh Road, we can go ahead and shut this one down.B次元官网网址�
The Leigh Road offramp, Young said, is also expected to create another strong area of the city in terms of the local economy, citing the economic boom on Millstream Road, where he says 4,000 permanent jobs were created after the installation of the interchange.
B次元官网网址淥r next project is to get across those tracks,B次元官网网址� Young said, pointing across Langford Lake, referencing the $24-million Westshore Parkway extension, which will link the Trans Canada Highway to Sooke Road.
The area of Goldstream being shut to through-traffic from the highway will be developed into recreational facilities and an RV park.
B次元官网网址淭his was a little country road that was designed for people to have cabins on the lake,B次元官网网址� Young said. B次元官网网址淣ow itB次元官网网址檚 been taking traffic off the highway for the last 20 years. This will be a really nice neighbourhood when itB次元官网网址檚 done. This will now be a part of our community instead of just a thoroughfare with vehicles driving down here.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭his was a priority that had been identified by the City of Langford as well as by the province,B次元官网网址� Stone said, as Goldstream is B次元官网网址渁 very narrow road in places and a densely populated area.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭he traffic (coming off the highway) has caused all kinds of issues for particularly the residents along Goldstream Avenue.
B次元官网网址淥nce we get the offramp in place at the Leigh Road interchange, itB次元官网网址檚 going to divert a whole bunch of the traffic that presently is clogging up Goldstream,B次元官网网址� Stone said.
Work on the project is scheduled to begin this summer and completed by yearB次元官网网址檚 end.
