COWICHAN BAY – Residents in the Fairbanks Road area of Cowichan Bay will soon notice flood recovery works underway to support safer travel, as work begins on slope restoration and drainage redesign.

The road was impacted after the atmospheric river flooding event of 2021, and the Ministry of Transportation and Transit has now awarded a contract for this vital repair work to Milestone Equipment Contracting Inc. of Nanaimo.

Work is set to begin in early January and will include geotechnical stabilization work, removing slide debris and placing rip rap, along with upgrading the existing drainage culvert and creating a new continuous drainage pipe system to safely move drainage water to the shore. A temporary barge landing will also be built to support the contractor in accessing the slope and moving equipment. The slope will also be repopulated with salvaged or native plants.

Construction is expected to complete by late March, weather permitting.

“People in our region need safe roads that they can count on to get where they’re going,” said Debra Toporowski, MLA for Cowichan Valley. “This work, which will begin in the new year, help restore and recover areas that have been impacted by flooding and make them safer for future travel.”

The project cost is estimated at just over $2 million. The ministry has worked with Transport Canada for approval of the temporary barge landing and has received Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) authorization for the work. Environmental mitigation measures are in place for all in-water works.

For worker safety, construction can only take place during favourable weather in this geotechnically complex area. Weather delays could impact the schedule and will be managed accordingly and in communication with the DFO if the completion timeline extends.