North Courtenay Connector
Engagement Summary:
The Province of B.C. is investing $15 million in the development and construction of the North Courtenay Connector, a new roadway between Highway 19 & North Courtenay.
The new road will be situated 3 kilometers north of the Courtenay City Centre, near the Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds. Improvements will include approximately 700 metres of new two lane road running west from the intersection of Headquarters Road and Dove Creek Road to the intersection of Piercy Road and Dove Creek Road, where Piercy Road continues on to Highway 19. The project will also include a new, two-lane bridge across the Tsolum River. Once completed, the new road will better connect Highway 19 with important services in the Comox Valley such as the new Comox Valley hospital, the Little River ferry terminal and the Comox airport.
On March 15, an Open House was held in Courtenay to share the plan with the public and gather feedback on the proposed route. Input was invited on how the new connector may change travel patterns in the community, as well as more general comments on the North Courtenay Connector project. The comment form was available online until
March 29, 2016.
Engagement Timeframe:
March 15 to March 29, 2016
Input Received:
On March 15, 2016, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure held a public information session in Downtown Courtenay which was attended by 107 community members. The information session was an opportunity for interested residents from the Comox Valley region to preview the recommended plan and provide comments. Attendees were encouraged to complete a comment form at the event or at their own convenience up until March 29, 2016. In total, 35 comment forms were received.
This engagement followed one-on-one direct engagement with the City of Courtenay, Comox Valley Regional District and local property owners with direct property impacts. The input received will be considered, along with technical and engineering factors, financial information and input from key stakeholders, when the North Courtenay Connector design is finalized.
Input leads to action:
As a result of public input received, the project team completed further traffic analysis to confirm future volumes can be accommodated with the proposed stop controlled intersection at Headquarters Road and Dove Creek Road on the new alignment. The Ministry also undertook a new hydraulic modeling analysis to ensure the bridge and road profiles are designed for a 200-year flood event and that the new alignment and drainage system also allow floodplain surface water to flow.