SOOKE - A re-elected BC NDP will advance the Phillips–Throup Road connection project and establish a clear path to funding the full route.

“Highway backups shouldn’t get in the way of people moving around their own community,” said Dana Lajeunesse, BC NDP candidate for Juan de Fuca-Malahat. “People in Sooke have been asking for solutions, and moving this project forward will help relieve congestion on Highway 14, reduce needless emissions from idling traffic, and give people more options to get around their community.”

A re-elected BC NDP government will advance pre-construction work on the new route, including remaining design and engineering work, with an initial investment of $1 million. The BC NDP will work with the District of Sooke to establish an updated cost for the project, and develop a full funding plan, creating a clear path towards construction.

The proposed Phillips-Throup connection would create an alternative east-west route through the Sooke core, giving drivers another option when Highway 14 is backed up. The route will also support active transportation with safer travel for pedestrians and cyclists through Sooke.

The BC Conservatives don’t have a plan to deal with infrastructure needs on Vancouver Island. They plan to aggressively cut the deficit with no plan to pay for it, which means slashing public transit funding, reducing service, and downloading costs onto people.