Residents and businesses along Central Saanich Road say frustration is growing as work on the Keating Cross Road flyover project remains paused until spring.
According to the Ministry of Transportation and Transit, construction cannot resume until spring due to weather-related constraints.
The project, which includes the Highway 17 Keating Cross overpass and southbound on-ramp, was originally expected to reach key milestones by spring 2025.
While the northbound off-ramp opened in July, residents say delays to the southbound on-ramp have placed a sustained burden on nearby neighbourhoods and businesses.
Scot Verleun, a resident who lives along the detour route on Central Saanich Road, says thousands of additional vehicles are being funnelled down what he describes as a rural road not designed for heavy traffic volumes.
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“Many sections have no shoulders, no sidewalks, and limited sightlines from driveways,” Verleun wrote in an email sent to media outlets. He also raised concerns about speeding vehicles, commercial trucks ignoring posted detours, and what he described as inconsistent enforcement.
Parents and staff at Keating Elementary School have also been affected, Verleun said, with increased commercial traffic creating safety concerns during school drop-off and pickup times. He added that businesses in the nearby industrial park are facing added fuel and labour costs due to longer truck routes.
Verleun says his frustration intensified after being told in early December that the southbound on-ramp could open within weeks, weather permitting. He argues that several suitable weather windows have passed since then without visible progress at the worksite.
“We’ve served our sentence,” he wrote. “After seven months of delay, residents and businesses deserve better.”
In response, the Ministry of Transportation and Transit says the remaining work on the southbound on-ramp cannot proceed until dry, stable conditions return.
“The remaining southbound work, including ramp connections and final paving, requires dry, stable conditions and cannot restart until spring,” said Oliver Schwuchow, Regional Project Manager, in a written response.
He added that overall project completion is now expected in spring 2026.
The ministry says multiple safety measures were implemented during construction, including speed reader boards near Keating Elementary, a pedestrian-controlled crossing on Tanner Road, and coordination with RCMP, local police, and commercial vehicle enforcement to monitor traffic behaviour.
Truck traffic has been detoured along Central Saanich Road using an existing truck route, while regular vehicle traffic has continued to use Tanner Road, according to the ministry.
More than 52,000 vehicles use this stretch of Highway 17 daily, and the flyover was identified as a priority.
The total cost of the project is $76.8 million, with $57.6 million funded by the Province, $16.7 million by the federal government, and $2.5 million contributed by the District of Central Saanich.
For residents along the detour routes, however, the promise of eventual completion offers limited comfort as traffic volumes remain high and construction activity remains on hold.
“We’re not asking for the whole project to be finished tomorrow,” said Verleun. “We’re asking for one critical piece to be opened that would immediately relieve pressure on our community.”
No official opening date has been provided for the new southbound exit.
