399 replies to this topic

[Kach]

notice the link in the last post is broken. Updated with this one.
http://www.th.gov.bc...17_and_Sayward/

[VicHockeyFan]

The Sayward intersection improvements look to be less than 2 weeks from complete.

[amor de cosmos]

Pat Bay Highway, Sayward upgrades finished
By Kyle Slavin - Victoria News
Published: October 30, 2013 2:00 PM
Updated: October 30, 2013 2:49 PM

Driving through one notoriously dangerous Saanich intersection will hopefully be safer from now on, now that a $3-million safety upgrade to the Pat Bay Highway at Sayward Road is complete.

The Ministry of Transportation moved to improve safety and ease congestion at the intersection near Elk Lake last year, which has seen more than 340 crashes since 2007.

Northbound acceleration and deceleration lanes were built, allowing traffic to ease on and off the highway.

The northbound bus stop was moved to a new pullout south of the intersection, and a transit priority queue lane was installed to give buses priority heading north.

http://www.vicnews.c.../229945111.html
http://www2.news.gov...0066-001636.htm

Public to get say on whether Beacon Avenue retains one-way section
Times Colonist
October 30, 2013 10:27 PM

The decision on whether to return Sidney’s Beacon Avenue to a two-way street will be driven by public input.

Sidney Mayor Larry Cross said municipal staff have been instructed to develop a detailed plan for including the public in decision-making. That could include open houses and community meetings early in the new year, as well as a mail-out, he said. A web-based option is expected to be online before the end of the year.

“Once we get all the information assembled, then we can start to really look at a rational basis on which to make a decision,” Cross said.

http://www.timescolo...ection-1.679156

[Kach]

In the Vic News article on the Sayward intersection, the following is stated.

"At the time Saanich Mayor Frank Leonard said the message he’s hearing is residents don’t want an interchange."
“The mayors on the (Saanich) peninsula have gone to the interchange idea, and our community really doesn’t want that here. So (transportation) ministers have used that divided voice to say, ‘We won’t do anything until you folks make up your minds.’ Fortunately the safety issue trumped everything,” he said."

End statement

In what process did the mayor hear this?

[Mike K.]

One municipality dictating the infrastructure future for everyone else. Nice.

[amor de cosmos]

Saanich's most dangerous intersection made safer
Jeff Bell / Times Colonist
November 1, 2013 09:49 PM

A $3-million upgrade has improved safety at the notorious Sayward Road/Pat Bay Highway intersection, but it won’t stop drivers from making bad decisions, one area worker says.

“It’s wonderful what they’ve done and I think it will help a little bit, but stupidity does not change,” said Laurie Rowlett, who works at the corner’s Cunningham Enterprises/FasGas service station. “I think a lot of the accidents are caused by stupidity.”

Still, the new signage and lights in particular are a definite step up, she said.

The high-volume corner has had the dubious distinction of being the No. 1 site for motor-vehicle crashes in Saanich for a number of years, according to Insurance Corporation of B.C. figures. Sayward/Pat Bay had 328 incidents from 2008-12, including 169 rear-end collisions from 2006-10.

http://www.timescolo...-safer-1.682058

[Mike K.]

What the article title should be is "Crash-prone highway intersection finally brought up to minimum standards."

I can imagine ICBC has spent untold millions of dollars compensating drivers for accidents at that intersection. And to think we should now be celebrating putting in deceleration and acceleration lanes that should have been there from day one?

[bluefox]

Any pics of the intersection improvements?

[Mike K.]

Lest we forget what we've had to contend with since time immemorial (and an affirmation of how much our governments love us):






From the TC article:

“If you’re coming off of Sayward and heading north toward Sidney or the ferries or the airport, you can get yourself to highway speed, merge into the traffic and nobody behind you is having to put the brakes on to slow down.”

CHRIST ALMIGHTY, isn't the future just AWESOME!!!!

[gkz]

Any predictions for which interchange will be build next?

 

I think Beacon Ave (entrance to Sidney) will be next. According to the report, they already have a preferred design after extensive discussions:

 

Over the last five years, the Ministry has been working with the Town of Sidney, Victoria 

International Airport and the District of North Saanich on a range of concepts to develop a 

preferred configuration described below. The only outstanding issues concerning the planned 

interchange at Beacon Avenue is the general configuration and operation of the interchange as 

well as the feasibility of the concept given the challenging grades as well as the established uses 

at Beacon Avenue as well as at Bevan Avenue. 

 

 

The construction will impact comparatively fewer private properties than the other possibilities, and will not cost as much:

 

Cost (Class D) 

Construction $15 million 

Property $1.6 million 

 

 

 

As well, now that the McTavish interchange is built, completing this interchange would create free flowing traffic from Mt Newton Cross Rd to the ferries. This would allow traffic getting off the ferries some room to space out, reducing congestion. 

Edited by gkz, 08 December 2013 - 11:59 PM.

[Hotel Mike]

Brilliant. I would love to see that happen at Beacon and not have to stop on the way to the ferry. Those of you who have been around long enough may remember that the provincial government at the time, Socreds I think, wanted to make the Pat Bay a proper freeway. Lots of Victorians went ballistic that this would be just like the Lower Mainland, and not indicative of this city. So it got watered down. Now they have to go back each time to do intersections that should have been done from the start.

[Hotel Mike]

I'm not sure how you get back onto the Pat Bay Highway from Beacon. I may not be reading this thing right.

[Mike K.]

That's a pretty hokey design. Quite a lot of traffic entering from the east enters the 17 via Beacon and they want to funnel everyone onto a t-intersection? Seems like a traffic nightmare not much different from what's happening at Millstream/HWY 1.

[gkz]

The diagram isn't the best. This is what the report says:
 

The planned Beacon Interchange concept consists of a full movement access with a three-lane overpass located south of the existing intersection, which would provide an improved linkage between east and west Sidney at Stirling Way and Bevan Avenue, respectively. On- and off-ramps would generally be located at Beacon Avenue. The northbound off-ramp proposed for Bevan Avenue could be extended beneath the overpass structure to connect further north to Beacon Avenue. Additionally, traffic from the east side of the Highway crossing at Bevan Avenue could access the Highway with a southbound on-ramp. 
 
Intersection control includes signalization of the Bevan Avenue ramp connections to the overpass and the intersection of Bevan Avenue and 7th Street. A three-legged roundabout is proposed for the intersection of Beacon Avenue with Stirling Way. 
 
Forecast traffic volumes indicate that highway traffic in the northbound direction is slightly higher than southbound traffic. A majority of the northbound highway traffic (approximately 50 percent) would exit onto Bevan Avenue and continue eastbound toward Sidney, or travel north on 7th Street. 
 
No additional support roads are needed for the interchange at Beacon Avenue and Bevan Avenue, however existing access locations near the proposed overpass and connecting ramps will need to be examined in future stages of planning and design.

Edited by gkz, 09 December 2013 - 02:46 PM.

[malabrat]

Town of Sidney and MOT released this concept. To get this far they must be getting closer to interchange at Beacon Ave and Pat Bay

 

Note there is also pedestrian over pass at Beacon and bridge is aligned to Bevan

Edited by malabrat, 10 December 2013 - 10:37 AM.

[Nparker]

Am I not seeing things properly or will Southbound traffic heading into Sidney now have a huge detour - practically into the airport! And how does Southbound traffic leaving Sidney get back onto the highway?

[jklymak]

They cross the highway and go to the far W roundabout.

 

But why is that far west roundabout so far west?  

[lanforod]

At least all these roundabouts should help teach people here how to use them properly. McTavish was a dry run I guess!

[Mike K.]

This plan is so bizarre. There's going to be a constant stream of traffic meandering across those roundabouts just to get onto the highway. Why make things so difficult for the majority of drivers?

[malabrat]

This plan is so bizarre. There's going to be a constant stream of traffic meandering across those roundabouts just to get onto the highway. Why make things so difficult for the majority of drivers?

 

Yes you go thru 3 roundabouts to get from Sidney to south bound Pat Bay but if you look closely you will see that you actually have a lane that is free flow through 2 of those roundabouts in that direction.