Village Way Path

Construction Service Alerts

• December 17, 2020 - Temporary Closure of North Road the morning of Dec 21
• November 25, 2020 - Temporary Closure of North Road the morning of Nov 26
• September 15, 2020 - Project information and construction update

Construction Updates

November 30

Work continues on retaining wall construction and gravel base preparation along the full length of the path corridor. Due to weather conditions and paving material availability, final asphalt and gravel path surfacing will occur as a second phase in the spring of 2021. When the first phase of construction is complete, the path will be open for public use over the winter and resemble a widened road shoulder.

In the early stages of construction, the RDN identified additional opportunities to retain trees within the path corridor. A detailed assessment of the trees throughout the village core was conducted using a hydro-excavator to expose the tree root systems. This exploratory digging allowed a professional arborist to determine whether retaining wall construction would damage the trees beyond their ability to recover, and minimized the number of trees removed. Additional trees have also been kept in front of the Gabriola Elementary School by realigning the path around existing trees and altering construction methods.

Traffic disruptions can be expected. Please exercise caution, obey all signage placed for your safety, and follow the flag-persons' directions.

September 2020

Construction of the Village Way path is scheduled to start on September 16, 2020, and be completed by December 15, 2020. Traffic disruptions can be expected. Please exercise caution, obey all signage placed for your safety, and follow the directions of the flag-persons on duty.

Project Overview

The Village Way path will create a safe and accessible path along the northern side of North Road between the junction of North and South Roads and the 707 Community Park entrance at Tin Can Alley.

The 1.5 km path will be 2-meters wide and slightly elevated above the road surface; it will be surfaced with asphalt through the village core and graveled the remainder of the way. The path is located completely within the active roadway and is being built and maintained by the RDN under licence with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI).

The RDN would like to thank the residents of Gabriola for their patience during the planning and design stages of this project and in advance for their continued support during the construction phase.

General Construction Information

What to Expect

• Typical work hours: 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Construction noise and vibration should be expected during working hours.
• Garbage and recycling will be picked up as usual. Emergency Services will have access at all times.
• During the construction period, traffic disruptions can be expected.

Traffic Impacts

• Temporary traffic signals will be in place during working hours to direct single-lane alternate traffic west of Lochinvar Lane on North Road as needed.
• Construction signs will be posted and flag-persons will be on duty to assist with the traffic flow.
• Pedestrians will be given designated walkways.
• Care will be given to cyclists passing through the site to ensure safe passage.
• Access to driveways and parking lots will be maintained.

General Considerations

• Please exercise caution, obey all signage placed for your safety, and follow the directions of the flagpersons on duty.
• If you have young children, please advise them of the dangers and limited visibility of heavy equipment and trucks.
• Every effort will be made to keep local disruption to a minimum.

Contact

Active construction activities or access: Windley Contracting Ltd. at 250-758-3411.

Village Way Path project: RDN Parks at recparks [at] rdn.bc.ca (recparks[at]rdn[dot]bc[dot]ca) or call the Parks office at 250-248-4744.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where will the path be located?

The path will run along the north side of North Road between the South Road junction and Tin Can Alley. It will be constructed completely within the active roadway which is under the control of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI).

What will the path look like?

The 2.0 m wide, slightly elevated path will be paved through the village core and will be gravel the remainder of the way. In some sections the path will be located close to the curb, in other sections the path will be set back from the curb.

The 2.0 m-wide, elevated path will be separated from the drivable road surface by an asphalt curb backed by a 0.3 m gravel strip.

The path will be slightly higher than the road surface, at the same elevation as the top of curb.

The road shoulder will be repaved and provide 0.9 m of clean asphalt from fog line to curb for use by road cyclists.

The path surface will be paved along the business frontages through the village core. The remainder of the path between the Gabriola Professional Centre and Tin Can Alley will be surfaced with gravel cart path.

A series of retaining walls and slopes will separate the path from private property where necessary. Road drainage will be managed by a system of spillways or shallow catch basins, manholes, infiltration trenches and culverts.

Who will be responsible for the on-going management and maintenance of the path?

The RDN will be responsible for the construction, on-going management, and maintenance of the path under licence with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI).