Vancouver Island MLA wants fixes to Malahat Highway after a summer of road closures

Green MLA Sonia Furstenauis renewing her call the province find a solution to frequent road closures on the MalahatHighway.

The main highway connecting Victoria with the rest of Vancouver Island has experienced a string of closures over the summer, including a rock slide that shut down both lanes for several hours Monday morning.

In late August, a fatal crash causedthe highway to close for eight hours. In such instances, the only alternatives for drivers is totravelby water or takea multi-hour detour.

"What we have to consider here are the ongoing impacts and the cumulative impacts," Furstenau toldCBC's All Points West.

"On the day these closures happen, people are missing flights, they're missing meetings, they're missing medicalappointments and they're not getting to work."

Furstenau, whose Cowichan Valley riding lies inthe middle of the line,said that she travels to Victoria on Sundays before the legislature sits on Mondays because the highway is so unreliable.

"I don't want to find myself trapped on the north side of the Malahat, and there's a vote in the house."

Listen to the full interview:

Boulder hit car

The latest closure stemmed from a boulder more than a half-metre wide tumbling downa hill Monday morning.

The rock travelled across both lanes and hit a vehicle travelling northbound, said Chris Cowley, operations managerfor Mainroad South Island Contracting, which maintains the highway.

"From where [crews] could see, just the heavy rainfall seems like the main culprit."

Crews had to shut down both lanesto assess where the bouldercame from and make sure there were no other loose rocks before reopening the highway, Cowley said.

Finding solutions

There is some relief in store, as a five-kilometrestretchof the highway will be expanded to four lanes. Median barriers will be set up on an additional three kilometres.

Furstenau said she plans to speak about the highway this week with B.C. Transportation Minister Clare Trevena at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Whistler.

"I would hope and Iexpect, particularly after this summer, it has moved up the priority list," she said.

Small solutions would include adding more ferries betweenthe Mill Bay-BrentwoodBayroute when the highway shuts down, she said.

She said there's also been talk from private investorsof adding passenger ferries between Mill Bay and Pat Bay and between Pat Bay and Cowichan Bay.

Furstenau also wants to see long-term solutions, such as reviving the 234-kilometre E&N Rail Line, which stretches from Victoria toCourtenay and has gone unused since 2011.

With files from CBC's All Points West

Read more from CBC British Columbia