Work continues this week on the Malahat in the government's $8 million bid to make the corridor safer.

The province is installing some 5.5 km of median barrier in sections of the highway.

Malahat Fire Chief Rob Patterson is looking forward to an improved roadway.

‘It’s going to make that stretch of the Malahat a whole lot safer. Any chance that we’ve got to eliminate a crossover head-on, it’s a good thing.”

He said there are too many drivers crossing the centre line and described the 'head-on’ as “just devastating.”

There are typically several serious accidents a year on the Malahat. The province agreed to the safety enhancement project after a report earlier this spring pointed out some problems with the high-risk corridor.

That report found that most accidents on the corridor are caused by speeding and reckless driving, however, the province stopped short at creating a designated police force for the corridor.

The passing lanes between Tunnel Hill and Aspen Rd. will be closed until Aug. 17 in the second installment of the median work on the Malahat.

The entire project is expected to be finished by the spring. 

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