Langford’s newest road has officially opened with the aim of helping residents and commuters navigate as safely and efficiently as possible.
The Chidlow Connector officially opened to motorists March 28, creating a new connection between Sooke and Luxton roads. The connector also provides access to the nearby Slegg Building Materials yard.
“Part of our long-term plans were to abandon the Luxton Road connection to Sooke Road because it intersects at an awkward angle so the sightlines are not ideal,” said Langford’s director of engineering and public works Michelle Mahovlich. “We worked to realign and create this new Chidlow Connector with a signalized intersection to replace the Luxton Road connector.”
The connector features two driving lanes, a middle turn lane, a sidewalk on the south side and a pedestrian crosswalk connecting the triangular lot to the north with the two lots to the south to support onsite development.
Mahovlich said the existing connection between Luxton and Sooke roads is now closed to public access north of Marwood Road. Marwood Road continues to connect to Luxton Road to allow vehicles to drive south on Luxton Road to the Chidlow Connector to reach Sooke Road.
Construction on the connector started in spring 2021 and went smoothly apart from a delay in early winter caused by severe rainfall. Mahovlich said there is still one more layer of asphalt to be paved, however, crews are waiting for neighbouring construction to finish before applying that final layer to avoid premature damage.
“Connectivity is always on our mind, we like to make sure we have safe routes, and this is a safer way to get out to Sooke Road,” she said. “We are doing the same at Glen Lake Road and Sooke Road right now, and that realignment is probably going to open in the next month or so.”
While the new intersection and connector are fully up and running, Mahovlich said motorists should be aware it may take some time before the new routing is reflected on satellite navigation services. She said the more motorists use the new routing, the sooner it is likely to be updated.
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@JSamanski
justin.samanski-langille@goldstreamgazette.com
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