Construction of the HMCS Quadra sewer forcemain installation and pump station retrofit is set to resume this week.
Area residents and those wishing to access Goose Spit Park should expect alternating one-way traffic flows with intermittent delays from Sept. 11-13 and from Sept. 25 through to the end of construction in November. Construction will happen Monday to Friday, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day, and will not occur on the weekends.
In addition, a full road closure will be in effect on Sept. 14 and 15, and Sept. 18-22, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day.
Only area residents, personnel from the Department of National Defence (DND) and Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD), plus cyclists and pedestrians will be allowed to access Hawkins Road during the road closure. All other vehicle traffic will be stopped at the Hawkins/Torrence intersection.
“We are pleased that work is starting again on this important project,” said Kris La Rose, the CVRD’s senior manager of Water and Wastewater Services. “When the crews experienced difficulties with ground conditions along Goose Spit Park this past spring, we decided to delay further work until the fall to avoid disrupting the public and HMCS Quadra during the busy summer months.”
The new HMCS Quadra forcemain will follow an inland route along Hawkins Road and, once complete, will tie in to the existing Town of Comox sanitary sewer system at the intersection of Hawkins and Torrence Roads. The existing forcemain runs through the estuary and is at risk of failure due to age.
Horizontal directional drilling will be used to install the forcemain, eliminating the need for full road excavation and allowing for quicker installation and thorough protection of the sensitive habitats.
Directional drilling requires only small sections of road to be opened up, with tunneling used beneath the road to insert the new pipe.
The replacement project, estimated to cost $1.6 million, is funded by the DND’s capital assistance program. Once the project is complete, the CVRD will own and operate the forcemain and pump station.