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Courtenay’s Fifth Street reopens

Complete Street Project finally complete
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After a significant investment over the past seven months to upgrade underground infrastructure and introduce Courtenay’s first protected bike lanes and new rain gardens to manage the flow of rainwater, Fifth Street between Menzies and Fitzgerald Avenues reopened to all modes of traffic this weekend.

With the completion of construction on Fifth Street, the temporary four-way stop at Sixth Street and Fitzgerald Avenue has returned to a two-way stop. The City of Courtenay will be monitoring traffic flow at this intersection over the coming months to determine if intersection upgrades are required at Fifth and Fitzgerald in the future.

Other project upgrades include:

· Physically-separated bike lanes, separated by rain gardens or on-street parking

· New landscaping and innovative rain gardens that capture rainwater and screen for pollutants before it returns to local waterways

· Shorter crosswalks and sloped curbing to make it easier for wheelchairs and strollers

· New tactile strips to aid those with visual impairments

· New signage and lane markings

Finishing touches will be completed over the coming weeks and next spring.

The City of Courtenay thanks the public for their patience through construction.

One hundred per cent of eligible expenses, up to $3.253 million, for the Fifth Street Complete Street project are funded by the federal Gas Tax Fund, under the Strategic Priorities - Local Roads, Bridges, and Active Transportation.

For more information on the project, visit www.courtenay.ca/completestreet