The BC government will be implementing several upgrades along a dangerous stretch of Highway 1 in Duncan to improve pedestrian safety.
The corridor to be improved stretches from Beverly Street to the intersection of Highway 1, James Street and York Road.
According to the Ministry of Transportation and Transit, a 1.8-metre-high fence will be installed on the median along Highway 1 to encourage students and other pedestrians to use marked and signalled crosswalks in the area.
This measure will effectively deter jaywalking across the Highway and should prevent future incidents of pedestrian injury and death.
Additionally, a continuous landscaped median will replace open sections, and all left-turn bays in the median will be permanently closed.
To mitigate traffic congestion with the left turn bays closing, signals at Beverly Street and York Road/James Street will be adjusted to handle more pedestrians and to provide a longer left-turn lane onto York Road.
Because this busy section of Highway 1 is near Quw’utsun Secondary school, the Province says they want to ensure students are as safe as possible while crossing the street in the area.
Work on this project is expected to start in fall 2025 and be complete by spring 2026.
In addition to this work, the area is also slated to soon have an active transportation overpass that traverses the busy section of Highway 1. This project is still in the planning phases.
See renderings of what motorists and pedestrians can expect below:
