Bridge widening project will provide southern Vancouver Island with more reliable public transit service

Saanich, British Columbia, March 15, 2024 — Two key highway bridges in Saanich will be widened to accommodate dedicated bus lanes after a combined investment of $35.5 million from the federal and provincial governments.

Announced by Minister Jonathan Wilkinson and Minister Rob Fleming, this project will support more reliable, efficient travel between the West Shore and downtown Victoria.

Funding will widen, retrofit, and renew the Colquitz River Bridges over Burnside Road on Highway 1, extending and connecting the bus lanes in both directions between Tillicum Road and Admirals-McKenzie Interchange, while making the bridges more resilient to seismic events. Additionally, the new bus lanes will create a continuous transit corridor between downtown Victoria and the interchange, reducing traffic congestion and improving transit service reliability.

The project will further construct new bridge drainage systems and plant rain gardens below to better filter roadway run-off and protect the habitat in and around the Colquitz River.