Drivers frustrated by delays getting over the Malahat are taking their anger out on flaggers, say police, who have moved in to keep the peace.
The highway is closed for repairs from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. through Monday and limited to single-lane alternating traffic during the day so damage from heavy rain and flooding can be repaired.
“We are aware that some motorists have taken out their anger on flaggers, who are only doing their job,” said West Shore RCMP Const. Alex Berube. “We acknowledge that tempers are high and patience is running thin.”
West Shore RCMP will be on hand at both 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. to ensure a smooth transition to single-lane-traffic mode, Berube said.
Long lines of cars stretched from Greater Victoria service stations Wednesday as pumps began running dry.
Difficulties trucking gas over the Malahat were leading to shortages, said Peninsula Co-op’s Erik Gault, who pleaded with motorists to stay off the highway.
B.C. Ferries said it’s adding a round trip on Thursday to transport essential goods and travellers between Duke Point and Swartz Bay. The Coastal Celebration, which can accommodate the equivalent of about 310 cars and 1,604 passengers, will be used for the sailing.
Loading will be on a first-come, first-served basis, with no reservations and no assured-loading tickets. Departure times are 12:30 p.m. from Swartz Bay and 4 p.m. from Duke Point.
Maritime Forces Pacific issued a notice Wednesday encouraging staff living north of the damage site to work remotely while repairs are underway.
Island Health said that people with essential medical appointments that require a trip over the Malahat should monitor travel advisories and plan for extra travel time in the event there are delays as a result of road-repair work.
The health authority said it will work with patients to reschedule non-urgent appointments if that is their preference.
In the Sooke School District, staff members living on the north side of the Malahat closure point at Tunnel Hill have been doing their best to get to work — including three bus drivers who agreed to stay in a hotel Wednesday night on the south side of the repairs to ensure they could get to work Wednesday.
Those drivers weren’t able to make it in Tuesday, leading to the cancellation of three afternoon bus trips.
The biggest challenge for school buses on Wednesday was the fact that the district transportation yard, located on Amy Road off West Shore Parkway, was blocked in for a time by vehicles trying to get onto the Trans-Canada Highway, to get in line for the Malahat. Langford later announced that the left-turn lane from the West Shore Parkway onto the Trans-Canada Highway will be temporarily closed.
“The buses did get out today, but they were delayed,” district superintendent Scott Stinson said. “We’re appreciative of the patience that our parents have and the commitment that our staff has to get things up and running to the best of their ability under these circumstances.”
The going has been tough for a number of other staff living north of the problem area on the Malahat, he said. Drive B.C. is warning motorists to expect major delays and congestion.
Stinson said one administrator trying to get home before the Malahat shut down at 7 p.m. Tuesday left work in Langford at 3 p.m. and texted at 4:25 p.m. to say she was still on the highway on-ramp at Leigh Road.
The Brentwood Bay-Mill Bay ferry had extra sailings for the past few nights, including four extra round trips Wednesday evening, but crew limitations mean they can’t continue, said spokeswoman Deborah Marshall.
The route’s ferry takes only 19 vehicles and lineups were substantial, Marshall said. The crossing takes about 25 minutes.
Larger vessels can’t be used because the terminals at Brentwood Bay and Mill Bay don’t have the capacity to accommodate them.
Another option for motorists wanting to avoid the Malahat is to take a ferry from Swartz Bay to Fulford Harbour on Salt Spring Island, then drive to Salt Spring’s Vesuvius Bay and catch a ferry to Crofton.
