Traffic, parking and bathrooms will be impacted at Puntledge Park this summer while the city upgrades a 60-year-old pump station.
A release from the City of Courtenay on April 18 said work at the sewer lift station at Puntledge Park will lead to changes to public amenities on 1st Street. The city is doing necessary construction it said, which will increase sewer performance and reduce the need for maintenance and associated costs.
“The current lift station has reached the end of its service life,” said Chris Davidson, director of engineering services at the City of Courtenay. “It is critically important that we replace it … This is the most important sewer infrastructure project in the city right now.”
Traffic outside the pump station, on 1st Street, is expected to fall to extended periods of single-lane, alternating traffic this summer. The city said the project is expected to be completed by November.
“We acknowledge that summertime work will be more disruptive to park users and regret the inconvenience, but it will be much safer for the very sensitive marine ecosystems in and around the Puntledge River and Morrison Creek,” said Davidson.
The bathroom facility will be closed during construction, however temporary washrooms will be provided. Similarly, parking will be affected around the pump station, which sits at the entrance to Puntledge Park.
The project is being done during the summer season as conditions will allow the city to save roughly $1 million in tax dollars, rather than doing construction during the Comox Valley’s rainy season. The savings cut the budget of the project by roughly 20 per cent, which was roughly $1 million from the project that is expected to cost $4 million under the new arrangement, according to the release.
Mitigating impacts in the rainy season would have added significant costs to the project, the city said. With the construction being done during the summer, the city says it notes the importance of protecting fish habitat throughout the job.
“A primary focus during construction will be protecting fish habitat, including ecosystems which support the endangered Morrison Creek lamprey,” wrote the city.
Puntledge Park will remain open at all times, the city said. The city will also update schedules to release key information as work progresses.
For more information and updates throughout construction, visit www.courtenay.ca/1stStreetLiftStation
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