Construction to begin on Front Street, bike lanes, pedestrian crossing

Front Street, in downtown Nanaimo, is about to get a major facelift… and construction starts this month.

When the project is finished, there will be an elevated crossing at the courthouse, and a new crossing at the bus exchange by Port Place Mall.

Front Street itself will get a lot slower. It will be reduced from 4 lanes to 2.

There will be a new, protected, 2 way bike lane. And there will be other so-called “traffic calming” additions.

When the project is finished, by this coming summer, the city will have a continuous waterfront promenade, from Maffeo Sutton Park to the bus corral.

The Government of Canada contributed $605,000 to the project through the Federal Gas Tax program, which is administered in British Columbia by the Union of B.C. Municipalities. 

Mayor Leonard Krog says “By utilizing Federal monies, this necessary improvement to Front Street provides a great opportunity to add to Nanaimo’s active transportation network with a two-way cycle track. This project is a great example of saving dollars by doing a number of improvements in one go.” 

Union of B.C. Municipalities President Brian Frenkel says “The federal Gas Tax Fund is helping B.C. communities expand transportation for local residents through new infrastructure that balances the priorities of transit riders, pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. I appreciate the federal funding that has been made available to support this priority in Nanaimo.” 

Work is expected to start in March and will be completed before Summer 2021. For more information, visit the detailed project web page at www.nanaimo.ca/goto/FrontStreet 

 

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