BC Transit begins construction on two new Comox Valley transit exchanges
BC Transit announced that construction is set to begin in the coming weeks on a pair of transit exchanges, the first two of five to be constructed or upgraded in the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD), first announced in February 2024.
The construction contract for the two locations has been awarded to Wacor Holdings Ltd. Construction at North Island College on College Campus Road and Lerwick Road gets underway this week and construction in downtown Comox on Port Augusta Street and Comox Avenue is expected to start in late August or early September. Construction on each exchange is expected to last several months.
The C$8.8-million ($US6.3 million) project is funded by the federal and provincial governments, as well as the CVRD.
In total, four locations in the CVRD—south Courtenay, downtown Courtenay, downtown Comox and North Island College—as well as Oyster River in the Strathcona Regional District will receive upgrades and new transit exchanges. The agency says these new transit exchanges will improve transit access, customer comfort, and safety and support continued investment in frequent transit service.
Since the announcement of the funding, BC Transit, the CVRD and the local municipalities have been engaging key stakeholders and refining exchange designs. Each exchange will include concrete bus bays or curb areas that can accommodate heavy-duty buses. The project will also include improvements to pedestrian and road infrastructure, new bike racks and new larger bus shelters.
During construction, the agency says the public can anticipate some traffic impacts and delays can be expected, but local access to businesses in the area will be maintained and accessible pedestrian detours will be in place. Temporary bus stops will be in place during construction with riders being told to look for signage and check for customer alerts that will advise of any changes or delays to routes.
Once completed, the agency says the project will enhance customer experience as well as service operations while facilitating service increases and ridership growth.