Current Project Scope and Longer-Term Vision

The District’s work on the Throup Road Connector and Phillips Road Corridor is guided by the District’s Transportation Master Plan and four key principles: fiscal responsibility, future-focused planning, balanced decision making, and community choice. Together, these principles emphasize designing for the long term, maximizing benefits while recognizing tradeoffs, pursuing external funding to reduce local costs, and ensuring the community has the final say through a borrowing referendum in 2026.

This project represents a step toward a more connected and enhanced transportation network for our community while contributing to the longer-term vision of a complete multimodal transportation system in Sooke.

Near-Term Priorities: What’s Included

The current project focuses on infrastructure that improves safety, accessibility, and traffic flow, while being mindful of cost, community needs, and long-term resilience:

• New roundabout connection: A roundabout behind SEAPARC will connect to the new Throup Connector Road.
• Multimodal travel options: Multimodal paths for pedestrian and wheel travel will run from Phillips Road at Highway 14 to the new roundabout, and along Throup Road from the SEAPARC roundabout to the Church-Throup Road roundabout, offering safety and accessibility improvements for all users.
• Environmental and community considerations: Wildlife considerations, parking enhancements, improved underground utilities and stormwater management, and protection of archaeological and ecological values are built into the design.

These near-term elements reflect priorities identified in the District’s Transportation Master Plan and will be the subject of a borrowing referendum in 2026. The borrowing amount will be determined based on final design and what is not acquired through grants and alternative funding sources. The borrowing required to fund the current project scope, which is intended to meet Sooke's needs for decades to come, is anticipated to be $300 per year for the next 30 years. This equates to $25 per month for the average residential property in Sooke.

Looking Further Ahead: The Longer-Term Vision

This project is just one piece of a larger picture. Further to the Throup Road Connector and Phillips Road Corridor projects, the District is planning a connected network of roads, pathways, and transit features that will:

• Improve travel within Sooke
• Support active transportation
• Provide a parallel route to Highway 14 to ease vehicle congestion

Future phases envision:

• A roundabout at Otter Point Road and Wadams Way alongside the future development on Otter Point Road.
• Multimodal links along Grant Road to West Coast Road
• A new local transit exchange on Wadams Way, endorsed by Council and currently under review by the Regional Transit Commission

When complete, this connected network will offer safe, efficient, and inclusive travel choices—helping residents, visitors, and businesses move through Sooke’s core with greater ease and reliability.