Dedicated bike lanes and sidewalks, along with a reconfiguation of some vehicle traffic all feature in now substantially completed upgrades to Metral Dr. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

flagship project

‘Really important to the community:’ construction all-but-wrapped on extensive Metral Dr. redesign

Nov 15, 2022 | 3:15 PM

NANAIMO — Final line painting and cleanup is all which remains of a massive, multi-year undertaking along Metral Dr.

The phased project in Nanaimo’s north end began in late 2020 and wrapped its major construction phase recently, leaving the stretch from Aulds Rd. in the north to Mostar Rd. at the south end dramatically different.

Annalisa Fipke, project manager with the City of Nanaimo, said the project included significant above and below ground changes.

“Metral includes the replacement of utilities, water and storm underneath the road, the rebuilding of the surface with the sidewalks and bike lanes, as well as we added street lighting for the whole corridor and upgraded a number of the bus stops.”

The second phase of the project will come in around its amended $8.5 million budget after Council authorized an additional $1.4 million in July to address rising construction costs.

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Of the increase for phase two construction, $1 million was covered by savings from phase one while the remaining $400,000 was funded through reserves.

Part of the total project cost was also funded by senior government grants.

Fipke said even without the official ‘complete’ label put on the project, more area residents are using the new bike lanes and sidewalks.

Nearby Pleasant Valley Elementary School has already seen a huge increase in the number of students biking to and from school this school year.

An excess of bikes from students at Pleasant Valley Elementary School is forcing both the City and School District 68 to figure out how to properly store and secure them during the school day. (submitted photo)

Despite extensive underground infrastructure improvements, the biggest change for most Nanaimo residents is surface level.

Built to the adopted Complete Streets standard, dedicated space for cyclists and pedestrians are prominent features in the new road layout.

City manager of transportation Jamie Rose told NanaimoNewsNOW Metral Dr. is a major road in the City’s network and active transportation goals.

“For the most part, it is a residential street. There might be some multi-family dwellings and there is a little bit of mixed use at either end, but really it is residential. Providing a really solid walking-biking facility was really important to the community.”

In addition to sidewalks and bike lanes, new three-way stop intersections were installed at Doumont Rd. and Turner Rd. to help moderate speeds and flow along the corridor.

New three-way stop signs at both Turner Rd. and Doumont Rd. provide both traffic flow and vehicle speed assistance to Metral Dr. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Rose said Metral Dr. is designed for people who live, work or are visiting in the immediate area, with those travelling longer distances encouraged to use either the Nanaimo Parkway or Island Hwy. on either side.

The other major traffic change feature at the project’s north end from Enterprise Way to Aulds Rd., with traffic flow reduced from two to one lane in each direction.

Rose added the City is “very comfortable” in the change with two lanes deemed “excess capacity” by observations.

“Traffic counts and then projections of what we expect to see in the future based on a combination of anticipated land use and historical growth patterns.”

New traffic control cameras at Enterprise Way, which better communicate with intersections on the Island Hwy. to reduce traffic jams, round out the surface-level improvements.

Now, the project is a waiting game for Rose and his transportation department colleagues.

They’ll use an array of devices and methods to see how and how many people are using the area to determine its success and influence future projects.

“If there was something that didn’t really hit the mark, we want to adjust that and do better,” Rose said. “This is a period of pretty significant change right now, Metral Dr. is definitely a flagship project that highlights a lot of the really big changes we’ve incorporated into our standard design principles.”

The final piece in the City’s major north-south active transportation corridor, pedestrians and cyclists can now move freely and safely in dedicated space from Woodgrove Centre to downtown Nanaimo.

Future expansion with corridors to Vancouver Island University is planned for 2023, before south-end connections are then tackled.

Goals outlined in City Plan show primary active transportation routes down Bruce Ave. and Tenth St., as well as Nicol St. to Chase River, with secondary pathways earmarked for the Nanaimo Parkway, Park Ave. and E&N Rail Line.

A map of the City of Nanaimo’s planned transportation routes, with primary pathways in red, secondary ones in blue. (City of Nanaimo)

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alex@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @alexrawnsley