Updated November 25: On Monday, November 28 between 7:30 am - 4:00 pm, Old Island Highway between Ryan Road and Headquarters Road will be single lane alternating traffic for the completion of the Tall Wall installation.

Previous: Installation of a permanent new concrete flood control barrier on the Old Island Highway will result in temporary lane closures and traffic impacts this week.

On Wednesday, November 23 between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm, the Old Island Highway between Headquarters Road and Ryan Road will be reduced to single-lane northbound traffic only. Southbound traffic will be detoured via posted side streets.

On Thursday November 24, both lanes were closed until approximately 10:30 am. As of 10:30 am, a portion of the northbound lane is now open, and traffic is now able to travel north in a defined laneway under the direction of traffic control personnel.

The new barriers, referred to as a “Tall Wall”, look similar to the existing concrete barricades on this section of highway, with one important difference. When grouted and locked together, the barriers will form a complete water-tight seal. Each Tall Wall barrier section is 1.25 metres high and weighs almost 10,000 lbs. The total cost for the upgrade, including removal of the old wall, is $110,000.

David Allen, the City of Courtenay’s Chief Administrative Officer, said the new barricade is another important tool in the city’s flood control arsenal, geared at maintaining important transportation links as long as possible and mitigating flooding in low-lying areas, particularly the Puntledge Business District.

“The new Tall Wall on this section of the Old Island Highway will also free up several sections of the Aqua Dam for use elsewhere,” added Allen. “This will allow crews to set up the Aqua Dam around the Lewis Centre parking lot, stage, and outdoor pool, all the way to the Lewis Centre facility itself.”

Once the Tall Wall is in place, crews will no longer need to close lanes on the Old Island Highway for Aqua Dam deployment and removal.

Another benefit is that by moving the Aqua Dam off the highway it can stay deployed for greater periods of time, reducing wear and tear that may occur during set-up and take-down. It also means if there are any damaged sections, crews will have access to spare sections while repairs are made.

For more information, please call City of Courtenay Public Works Services at 250-338-1525 or email publicworks@courtenay.ca