Commuters traveling between the Westshore and downtown Victoria can expect faster and more reliable trips following the opening of new bus-on-shoulder lanes on Highway 1 at the Colquitz River Bridges in Saanich. The provincial government opened the new lanes on May 19, 2026, marking a significant step toward creating a continuous rapid transit corridor that will eventually stretch all the way to Colwood by late fall 2027.
The project, which carries a total cost of $33.5 million, was funded by a $23.5 million contribution from the Province of British Columbia and $10 million from the federal government through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. By allowing buses to bypass traffic on one of the region’s busiest stretches of highway, the lanes aim to improve travel times for the more than 300 buses that cross the bridges daily.
“These new bus-on-shoulder lanes on the Colquitz River Bridges along Highway 1 will help keep buses moving reliably through busy traffic and improve travel times for commuters during peak hours,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Transportation and Transit.
The completed work widened both existing two-lane bridges over Burnside Road and added one dedicated bus lane in each direction. In addition to the transit improvements, the project included seismic upgrades and the installation of a new drainage system with rain gardens and sediment catch basins to protect the local environment. The initiative supports BC Transit and its Route 95 Blink RapidBus service, with the province aiming to reduce transit travel times by up to 20 percent.
Work on the broader transit corridor is ongoing, with officials confirming that the highway lanes will continue to be extended toward the Colwood area over the next year. This effort is a core component of the Province of British Columbia’s South Island Transportation Strategy, which focuses on providing more sustainable and resilient transportation options for the growing region.
