A $4.3 million dual-lane replacement of the Roche Cove or Gillespie Road Bridge in Sooke is on-track for completion by year’s end, according to the Ministry of Transportation.

 

Spanning Roche Cove and connecting the East Sooke peninsula’s semi-rural communities of Sooke (a portion of the district is situated across Sooke Basin adjacent to East Sooke), East Sooke, Metchosin and the Sc’ianew First Nation at Beecher Bay, the Gillespie Road Bridge is a vital component of a corridor that serves as an alternative route to and from Sooke’s town centre in the event of Highway 14’s closure east of Gillespie Road, or roughly the area near 17 Mile House Pub.

 

With only a single lane that requires traffic to alternate, the current bridge has been the source of significant congestion during Highway 14 closures as motorists detour via East Sooke and Metchosin. The replacement span will allow traffic to flow unimpeded from both ends.

 

Once the new span opens by the end of December, demolition of the old span will begin with completion expected by early 2019.

 

As part of a provincial plan to upgrade the Highway 14 corridor between Langford and Sooke, the Gillespie Road Bridge replacement was announced in tandem with improvements to road markings along the highway, the addition of several transit shelters and bus pull-outs, and improved signage.

 

Future improvements to the windy dual-lane route to Sooke, which has seen a marked increase in closures stemming from motor vehicle incidents, will include a combination of new routing along problematic portions, passing opportunities and improved lighting. C

 

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