Malahat, British Columbia
Malahat (/ˈmæləhæt/) is an unincorporated area in the Cowichan Valley, with municipal-type services delivered by the Cowichan Valley Regional District (Area A). What could be considered the hub of the community is a small collection of businesses that includes the Malahat Gas station (which also serves as the Malahat Post Office) and the Malahat Chalet and the Moon Water Lodge.
A steep and rugged terrain has in the past[
Fire protection to the Malahat area is provided by Malahat Fire Rescue.
Malahat Drive
"The Malahat" is a term commonly applied to the Malahat Drive, a 25 km (15.5 mi) portion of
The roadway has a mix of 2, 3 and 4 lane cross-sections. The highway through the narrow Goldstream Provincial Park canyon section is 2 lanes.
The Malahat portion of Highway 1 has been the location of a number of fatal traffic accidents, caused largely by vehicles crossing the centre line.[citation needed] These accidents have led to lengthy road closures. Closure of Malahat Drive causes disruption to travel and commerce on Vancouver Island as portions of the highway are a single point of failure if closed. Detour routes around the Malahat Drive are available via the Brentwood Bay-Mill Bay ferry and the Pacific Marine Circle Route.
As a result of these crashes, the
The speed limit of this highway segment is 80 km/h (50 mph) except for a short section of Tunnel Hill where the speed limit is 70 km/h (43 mph).