5th Street Set to Re-open

After a significant investment over the past seven months to upgrade underground infrastructure and introduce Courtenay’s first protected bike lanes and new rain gardens to manage the flow of rainwater, 5th Street between Menzies and Fitzgerald Avenues will reopen to all modes of traffic this evening, Friday November 23, 2018.

With the completion of construction on 5th Street, the temporary four-way stop at 6th Street and Fitzgerald Avenue has returned to a two-way stop. The City of Courtenay will be monitoring traffic flow at this intersection over the coming months to determine if intersection upgrades are required at 6th and Fitzgerald in the future.

Other project upgrades include:

• Physically-separated bike lanes, separated by rain gardens or on-street parking
• New landscaping and innovative rain gardens that capture rainwater and screen for pollutants before it returns to local waterways
• Shorter crosswalks and sloped curbing to make it easier for wheelchairs and strollers
• New tactile strips to aid those with visual impairments
• New signage and lane markings

Finishing touches will be completed over the coming weeks and next spring. 

The City of Courtenay thanks the public for their patience through construction. 

100 percent of eligible expenses up to $3.253 million for the 5th Street Complete Street project are funded by the federal Gas Tax Fund, under the Strategic Priorities - Local Roads, Bridges, and Active Transportation. 

For more information on the project, visit www.courtenay.ca/completestreet