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Wilkinson Road Corridor Improvements


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#1 exc911ence

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Posted 07 January 2017 - 09:42 AM

Wilkinson Road (between Greenlea and Mann) was closed in June 2016 to replace a small bridge and planned to be reopened in November 2016. It remains closed. Checking the internet, I discover that the project is (as of October 2016) "on schedule with project completion identified for February 2017". Doesn't sound like on schedule to me if the completion date has been moved from November to February... unless this is the magical "Island Time" that I hear so much about.

 

http://www.saanich.c...provements.html

 

I don't see how a two-lane bridge over a small creek can take the better part of a year to replace, even with "complications" popping up, but then I'm not an engineer, urban planner or seat-moistening government employee. I am a person who watched the city of Ottawa replace major spans of their 8-10 lane divided highway overnight on several occasions (fascinating to observe!) however so I know with proper planning, big projects can be completed with minimal disruption. 

 

Link to one Ottawa timelapse: http://ottawacitizen...dge-replacement

 

So, anyone in the know as to why the Wilkinson Road project seems to be crawling like so much molasses in January, or is the simple answer "Because: Victoria"? Their official explanation of "The latest schedule indicates that the road portion of the project will not be opened to traffic until early February 2017. Our original goal was to have the road open to traffic (with minor delays and alternating single lanes during the working day) at the end of November 2016. 

This change in schedule was influenced by constraints in winter paving ability and  complexities in coordinating third party utilities." seems a bit wishy-washy. After all, it wasn't going to be winter yet for the original completion date of November, and coordinating third party utilities is something that the city probably does every single day and should be pretty good at by now.

 

Ultimately, I'm just whining out loud as that's the road I normally commute on and haven't been able to do so on since last spring....  :unsure:


Edited by exc911ence, 07 January 2017 - 09:43 AM.


#2 nagel

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Posted 07 January 2017 - 10:17 AM

I drove down there last night it doesn't even look close if you ask me.

#3 Mike K.

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Posted 07 January 2017 - 10:32 AM

It's tough to say what the issues are, but I'm not in the least surprised it's taking this long.

Meanwhile in Victoria a bridge that was to have opened to traffic on 2014 and cost $63-million won't open until at least the end of 2017 and will cost nearly twice its original budgeted amount.

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#4 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 07 January 2017 - 10:33 AM

I think the original plan had the road open but the work not quite finished.  Then they discovered that completing the work with the road open was going to be a problem.


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#5 UDeMan

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Posted 07 January 2017 - 12:32 PM

November 2016 to February 2017 is not a big delay. 

 

Anyway, since Saanich put the light at Mann and Glanford, it's made that turn much safer and traffic flows fast.



#6 AllseeingEye

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Posted 07 January 2017 - 01:36 PM

Well this isn't entirely surprising considering given the history of projects in the area - we are after all the masters of "studying" proposals to death (sometimes for decades) before finally making a decision. Or not.

 

Consider that while the CoV fumbles and bumbles and stumbles along as it replaces (maybe) a 50-meter bridge downtown - which will be millions of dollars over budget and years behind the original schedule whenever it is actually, you know, finished - Vancouver somehow managed to entirely retrofit and upgrade the nearly mile-long Lions Gate Bridge - the first time BTW a suspension bridge deck had been so replaced, ever - in about 12 months. "Victoria" time indeed....


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#7 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 07 January 2017 - 02:33 PM

Hey it took 21 YEARS to decide to do something with the checker-board pavilion at BHP.


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#8 3isenough

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Posted 07 January 2017 - 03:55 PM

I think they tried to blame weather, which caused paving delays... Hmmm... you'd think they'd realize it just might rain in October/November around here.

The bridge construction has been a PITA, the traffic congestion around Glanford/Quadra/West Saanich is crazy now when I'm picking up kids at Royal Oak. I have to agree though that the turn IS much safer from Mann to Glanford (as long as there's not some oblivious driver running a red on Glanford as you're about to turn 😳, good thing I look both ways regardless of the colour of the light). It will be interesting to see how peoples' habits will change once the bridge is opened, how many will stick with their new routes and how many will go back to their previous route.

#9 victoriassecret

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Posted 07 January 2017 - 06:04 PM

Look it takes time to build bridges around here OK? We do stuff differently here in Victoria. The new johnson street bridge (over 50% reserved for pedestrians!!!!) will only take 3 years for a 100 meter bridge that's pretty good. So taking 8 months for a bridge over a creek is record speed.


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#10 AllseeingEye

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Posted 07 January 2017 - 06:30 PM

Look it takes time to build bridges around here OK? We do stuff differently here in Victoria. The new johnson street bridge (over 50% reserved for pedestrians!!!!) will only take 3 years for a 100 meter bridge that's pretty good. So taking 8 months for a bridge over a creek is record speed.

Yep....cuz we're "special" here. Just ask any of the local politicians on some of the Victoria FB groups who are furiously fighting an online rearguard action campaign to ensure the "A" word (amalgamation) does not get any oxygen, traction or support whatsoever.....



#11 phx

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Posted 07 January 2017 - 06:50 PM

Vancouver somehow managed to entirely retrofit and upgrade the nearly mile-long Lions Gate Bridge - the first time BTW a suspension bridge deck had been so replaced, ever - in about 12 months.

 

That went way over budget.



#12 AllseeingEye

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Posted 07 January 2017 - 07:15 PM

That went way over budget.

My point was they got it done - unlike so many initiatives here in Mayberry by the Sea...

 

And since from an engineering standpoint what they were doing there had never been done before, going over budget wasn't terribly surprising or particularly unexpected. Furthermore since our own tiny, rinky-dink bridge project will ultimately annihilate its budget, not to mention be completed literally years after the initial estimate, I don't think anyone in Victoria is in a position to lob stones at the outcome of the LGB project.



#13 LJ

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Posted 07 January 2017 - 07:43 PM

^Well to be fair, the COV is building a bridge that has never been done before either, unfortunately that's a bad thing in this instance, as there was no need to do it.


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#14 lanforod

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Posted 13 February 2017 - 01:54 PM

This project is mostly complete. Larger items I see remaining:
A layer of asphalt over the entire stretch, including bike ramps to the new bridge.
Complete the new trail drains.
Surface the trail (my guess is gravel, though I'd prefer wood chip).
Lane painting.
A couple of holes to complete yet at the Mann end and the Quicks Bottom end.

Again, I'm ticked they didn't plan to finish this properly from Quicks Bottom to Travino Lane. Looks ridiculous. Leaves a 500 m or so gap with no bike lane and a terrible side trail.

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#15 3isenough

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Posted 13 February 2017 - 02:03 PM

What's the time estimate? Even best guess? We were just talking about this yesterday as we drove through the area.

#16 57WestHills

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Posted 13 February 2017 - 03:15 PM

I think they tried to blame weather, which caused paving delays... Hmmm... you'd think they'd realize it just might rain in October/November around here.


October was the rainiest ever: http://www.timescolo...ecord-1.2414684
So not planning for that seems reasonable.

This wasn't the only area infrastructure project delayed. Also on hold were (and are) the E&N trail extension / Jenkins repaving in Langford, part of the Uptown / Carey Rd work and trail improvements at Swan Lake. I'm sure there's more, I only keep track of things I'm personally interested in.

#17 lanforod

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Posted 14 February 2017 - 07:37 AM

What's the time estimate? Even best guess? We were just talking about this yesterday as we drove through the area.

I would guess they open the road next week. The entire project is maybe a month or two yet.

#18 exc911ence

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Posted 18 February 2017 - 07:58 PM

I would guess they open the road next week. The entire project is maybe a month or two yet.

 

Let my commute recommence!  :banana:



#19 lanforod

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Posted 18 February 2017 - 09:45 PM

You've not commuted since June?

While I miss that route option it's been a very nice and quiet 9 months here :)
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#20 Bingo

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Posted 23 February 2017 - 06:31 PM

Today

 

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