Part of the Midtown Gateway project opens to traffic Wednesday, Sept. 25 with the newly-named Powder Works Rd. and an extension of Boxwood Rd. opening. (City of Nanaimo)

By Alex Rawnsley

traffic flows

New roads open up as part of Nanaimo Midtown Gateway project comes online

Sep 25, 2024 | 5:31 AM

NANAIMO — The city’s network of roads and sidewalks just got a little bit longer.

Crews working on the long-in-development Midtown Gateway project have removed barricades and opened up a section of new road, extending Boxwood Rd. from Northfield Rd. and creating a brand new Powder Works Rd. link with Rosstown Rd.

City project manager Kurtis Noble said the Wednesday, Sept. 25 opening is the first of many milestones for the project, the next of which will see the permanent closure of the end of Rosstown Rd. and Bowen Rd.

“People will likely notice there’s a whole bunch of infrastructure already installed, but there’s some works that need to be completed and in order to complete those, we need to close off the access to Rosstown Rd. on Bowen Rd.”

The closure is expected to happen Oct. 1 and will see surface-level works completed.

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Noble said a final change will happen “in the late fall” involving a link between Boxwood Rd. and Bowen Rd.

In development since a land purchase in 2010, the Midtown Gateway project is designed to help alleviate some congestion in a very high-traffic area.

Noble said Bowen Rd., Northfield Rd. and Boxwood Rd. see a combined 45,300 vehicles per day and ensuring they can move freely was top of mind when designing this project.

To achieve this, traffic monitoring cameras are being installed.

“All three signalized intersections and the new roundabout will be connected with fibre optics and traffic cameras, so that’ll help control traffic for all users and particular locations will be aware of conditions at other key locations within the project, so they’ll all work in synchronization.”

The cameras, which don’t record or store images, are able to detect vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, then adjust traffic patterns accordingly.

A new roundabout linking Boxwood Rd. with Powder Works Rd. will also feature a traffic monitoring camera, providing information to nearby intersections about coming traffic flows. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Getting the right mix and timings between the lights will be something which is refined over time, according to Noble.

“We actually fully expect that probably once the project is fully constructed, opened up and all these new intersections are operating at capacity, we’ll monitor conditions, we’ll likely have to make a few adjustments along the way similar to a lot of other projects in town.”

Noble said a new road through a previously large, open area of central Nanaimo also brings forward development possibilities for residential or commercial applications.

The final step in the project will involve the connection of Boxwood Rd. with Bowen Rd. later this fall. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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