Upcoming Improvements on Veterans Memorial Parkway

The City of Courtenay is preparing for a paving project on Veterans Memorial Parkway that will reinforce and thicken the road surface on this arterial transportation corridor, and improve conditions for pedestrians, cyclists and transit users.

The project will be the City’s major road maintenance for the year, and will add the final “lift,” or top layer, of asphalt to the existing pavement between the North Island Highway and Mission Road. The work will also extend the sidewalk from Valley Vista Estates to the existing gravel multi-use pathway, and improve the bus stop at Caledon Crescent. New pedestrian flashing lights will be installed at the crosswalk at Caledon Crescent.  Preparatory work for the project began in late April.

Courtenay will be using a new road marking installation technique for the project. The method involves inlaying thermoplastic paint into a groove in the pavement. The resulting road markings are highly visible and extremely durable, lasting on average 7 to 10 years before requiring any maintenance, or around twice as long as the next most durable road painting method. This low-maintenance roadway will mean lower long-term costs for taxpayers, and fewer future travel delays for commuters.

Paving is planned for the week of May 25, weather permitting, with one lane of traffic in each direction maintained at all times. Painting would take place the following week. Traffic control personnel will be on site to assist all commuters, including pedestrians and cyclists.

The project is part of the City’s overall asset management program, a comprehensive, organization-wide effort to proactively maintain Courtenay’s infrastructure and equipment to maximize life span at the lowest long-term cost. In 2019, Courtenay became one of the first municipalities in Canada to adopt an Asset Management Bylaw.

Learn more: Asset Management in the City of Courtenay