Motorists, pedestrians and residents along Shelbourne Street have reluctantly gotten used to the sight of tractors, cranes, compactors and slow moving traffic.
“It just made a hell of a mess. Dusty as hell inside all the time and you gotta move your vehicle. I just wish they’d get it done,” said resident Larry Gerspacher.
The work currently being done on the stretch of Shelbourne Street between North Dairy Road and Pear Street is part of Phase Two of the Shelbourne Street Improvements Project. Phase One was completed in June of 2022.
According to Nick Brown – Project Superintendent with Don Mann Excavating Ltd. – traffic, pedestrians, cyclists, and schools nearby are just some of the challenges they have to deal with and that they are trying their best to accommodate everybody as best as they can while still doing their job.
“We are doing everything . Water main, sewer, drains, sidewalks, bike lane, landscaping, and street lighting,” said Brown.
For months now, motorists driving through the area have had to deal with bumpy roads, potholes and delays.
“It’s like chaos and I always had to dodge potholes. It’s been like this for the past year and a half,” said one motorist.
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Shelbourne Street in Saanich is pictured in April 2024. (CHEK News)
While frustrations mount everyday, some residents can still see the good through the dust and noise.
“I think these road projects get a lot of hate because they are inconvenient, but they have to be done to provide everybody better roads to service the community,” said resident Gregory Chad.
Phase Two of the Shelbourne Street Improvements Project was scheduled to take two years to complete.
“We’re coming up to the two-year project in September, so we should be finishing before the end of the year, so by fall we should be done,” added Brown.
With most of the underground work completed and with the weather on their side, crews are now able to work longer hours to try to meet the project deadline for Phase Two this fall. Once completed, the third and final phase of the project – which will see improvements made from Pear Street to Garnet Road – will begin in December.
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