Departure Bay Pump Station and Forcemain Expansion Project

The Departure Bay Pump Station and Forcemain project team is sharing two important updates on next steps for the project, including an overview of the traffic management strategy, and an update on construction schedules for Hammond Bay Road.

Traffic Management Update
The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) has completed extensive assessment work to develop a traffic management plan for the upcoming construction on Hammond Bay Road. The plan considered many factors, including current traffic patterns, emergency services access, school district transportation needs, and BC Transit operations

Following this review, the preferred management strategy is a temporary unidirectional, clockwise (southbound) traffic pattern on Hammond Bay Road during construction. Based on traffic modelling, single-lane alternating traffic would create too big of a traffic backlog and would extend the duration of construction.

The traffic changes are anticipated to begin in early 2027 to allow residents, commuters, and businesses time to prepare and adjust.

Key elements included in the strategy are:

• Northbound (counter-clockwise) traffic will be directed to a detour route via Rutherford/Uplands/Departure Bay Road. Only southbound traffic (clockwise from McGuffie Road towards Departure Bay) will be able to travel the full Hammond Bay Road route.
• Two-way traffic will be available between active construction segments - one-way traffic will only be required within active work areas.
• Proactive traffic improvements are planned along the detour route, including upgrades at pedestrian crossings, signal modifications, and intersection improvements at Vanderneuk and Rutherford, and Uplands and Departure Bay Road.
• Emergency services will continue to have two-way access, supported through communication protocols between dispatch and construction crews.
• The RDN is working with School District 68 to accommodate school bus operations in both directions.
• Bollards along Gulfview and Sundown Drive will remain in place at this time.

Construction Schedule
Construction along Hammond Bay Road is now expected to begin in early 2027, with some early off-roadway work beginning in summer 2026. Additional time is required to complete pre-construction work, including proactive traffic improvements and on-going ground investigations.

Here are some key schedule milestones:

• Mid-Late 2026: Proactive traffic improvements constructed that will enable traffic management strategy.
• Mid-Late 2026: Continued pre-construction ground investigations underway – may require single-lane alternating traffic at times.
• Late 2026: Preliminary start of construction on Hammond Bay Road – single-lane alternating traffic in place.
• Early 2027: Full construction underway on Hammond Bay Road – unidirectional traffic flow in place.

Keep Informed

This is just the beginning of information to be shared about the unidirectional traffic strategy for Hammond Bay Road. Residents and commuters in the area can continue to follow here for updates about schedule and locations for work in the months to come.

Residents interested in receiving project updates directly via email can subscribe by clicking the link found at the top right of the project page.

The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) is preparing to kick-off construction on the Departure Bay Pump Station and Forcemain Expansion Project and will be hosting two public open houses in partnership with the City of Nanaimo to inform the community and answer questions about the project plan.

The expansion project includes the renewal of the pump station at Departure Bay as well as the installation of four kilometres of new sewer forcemain along Hammond Bay Road. The project is critical as this portion of the wastewater system is now over 50 years old, moves 75 per cent of the City of Nanaimo’s wastewater and is not keeping up with current or future needs. Construction is expected to get underway in spring 2026.

The public is invited to drop-in to the open houses to learn more about the project plan and ask the project team questions.

Public Open Houses

Wednesday, January 21, 6-8 p.m. at Hungarian Cultural Society (4840 Hammond Bay Rd.)

-OR-

Thursday, January 22, 5-7 p.m. at Departure Bay Elementary School (3004 Departure Bay Rd.)

A traffic management plan is in development for the project, and more information will be available about impacts for commuters before the start of construction. In January, drilling will be completed along the project route to complete preliminary ground testing. This is not the start of construction – but will require single-lane alternating traffic over a few weeks’ period.

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