Departure Bay Pump Station and Forcemain Expansion Project

Looking for past updates on the Departure Bay Pump Station and Forcemain Expansion Project?

Below is some background on what has been completed and what has shaped the work ahead. For the most current information and latest news, please read the latest news on our home page.

• August 2026 - Information Sessions
  Project staff hosted two informal information sessions in September at Departure Bay Beach. Members of the public dropped by these sessions to ask questions, learn about traffic plans, and sign up for project updates.
  
  
• Spring 2026 - The project management team shared 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.
  READ THE FULL UPDATE HERE.

October 2026
Preliminary ground investigations will soon begin to prepare for the upcoming Departure Bay Pump Station and Forcemain Expansion Project. Residents and drivers can expect to see day-time activity taking place along Hammond Bay Road from Prince John Way to Tiki Way starting mid-October. This preliminary, preparatory work is expected to last until late fall, and is a required step before the start of larger construction expected in early 2027.

• To facilitate this work, drivers and commuters can expect:
• Single lane alternating traffic in some areas.
• No anticipated changes to transit
• Full access for pedestrians and cyclists throughout work zones

Please continue to look here for updated information on traffic impacts as work progresses.

Last Updated – September 2026
The City of Nanaimo is preparing for the surface works that will take place during the later stages of the project. An FAQ document and accompanying drawings are now available to provide residents and community members with more information about the options being considered during this phase of construction.

We encourage residents and community members to review the FAQ document and drawings for answers to frequently asked questions and additional details about the upcoming work.

Please click the links below to view the documents:

• FAQ
• Drawings (Sections A-D-H)
• Drawings (Sections E-G-I)

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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