I have been a resident of Central Saanich for eight years and lucky to have grown up on the Peninsula. Now, I have the pleasure of raising my family which includes two children, who both attend Keating Elementary School.
The Keating flyover construction is set to start soon and is the reason for my concern. I believe the flyover should be a full overpass, providing access from Keating Cross Road northbound and southbound to Highway 17. A full overpass would provide a safer route for the high volume of trucks accessing the Keating Industrial Park and ferries, large buses en route to Butchart Gardens, and emergency vehicles to access the highway quickly.
A full overpass would also help divert traffic away from Keating Elementary School where almost 500 children attend, and not use the awkward and steep intersection at East Saanich Road and Saanich Cross Road. The recent ‘safety improvements’ around Keating Elementary have actually made it harder for large trucks to pass each other with the new widened sidewalks.
A flyover is a short-sighted solution to our growing community. I strongly believe we need a full overpass at Keating Cross Road and Highway 17, even if it has the potential to devalue my home on Tamany Drive, a residential street that will likely lose access to Keating Cross Road. I believe the safety of our children is more important than the value of our home.
Michelle Philpott
Central Saanich
