Road safety improvements are coming to the intersection of Back Road and Valley View Drive, with active construction to include some evenings and overnights to minimize impacts to commuters.
From Aug. 5 to 21, the City of Courtenay crews and contractors will be working around the intersection to install a small roundabout with median islands, as well as a 150-metre section of guardrail on Back Road at Valley View Drive.
While two-way traffic will be maintained throughout the construction area as much as possible, Back Road traffic may be reduced to single-lane alternating at times. The City asks that people drive carefully through the work zone for the safety of crews on site and other commuters.
Valley View Drive at Back Road will be closed nightly on Aug. 14, 15 and 18 to 21, with a detour via Hobson Avenue.
The goal of the project is decreasing speeds and reducing the collision rates in this location, improving road safety for all commuters.
This work is supported by an independent analysis of traffic conditions on Back Road, including existing infrastructure, traffic volumes and speeds. The project is one of the recommendations from the Back Road traffic study, which was commissioned following a formal request from Back Road residents for traffic calming in their area.
The Back Road traffic study was completed using guidelines from the recently finalized City of Courtenay Traffic Calming Guide and Policy. The policy outlines specific principles and processes for escalating and prioritizing traffic calming requests in Courtenay, including specific steps for residents to follow when requesting traffic calming, and consistent criteria the City will follow to evaluate them.
