Departure Bay Pump Station and Forcemain Expansion Project

Upgrading Key Sewer Infrastructure

The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN), in partnership with the City of Nanaimo, is preparing to kick off construction on the Departure Bay Pump Station and Forcemain Expansion Project – a project that is necessary to upgrade wastewater services to meet current and future needs.

About the Project

This key project includes a renewal of the pump station at Departure Bay Beach, as well as the installation of four kilometres of new sewer forcemain along Hammond Bay Road, from the pump station to the wastewater treatment plant on McGuffie Road.

The current infrastructure is over 50 years old and at the end of its life. Upgrading this portion of the wastewater system is critically important – it currently moves 75 per cent of the City of Nanaimo’s wastewater to the treatment facility.

Latest News (Updated May 2026)

  • Unidirectional traffic along Hammond Bay Road will be implemented beginning early 2027. The one-way (southbound) approach was selected follow extensive assessment of traffic patterns in the area.
    READ THE FULL UPDATE HERE.
  • Pre-construction work in the area is slated to begin this summer, with work to complete proactive traffic management tools off Hammond Bay Road underway.
  • Continued ground investigation work will continue through mid-late 2026 and will require intermittent single-lane alternating traffic.

Keeping you Informed

We understand this project will be disruptive and of high interest to many in the corridor and throughout the area. This page will be the primary source for updates and information will be shared proactively as details are confirmed.

We invite you to:

Upgrading Key Sewer Infrastructure

The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN), in partnership with the City of Nanaimo, is preparing to kick off construction on the Departure Bay Pump Station and Forcemain Expansion Project – a project that is necessary to upgrade wastewater services to meet current and future needs.

About the Project

This key project includes a renewal of the pump station at Departure Bay Beach, as well as the installation of four kilometres of new sewer forcemain along Hammond Bay Road, from the pump station to the wastewater treatment plant on McGuffie Road.

The current infrastructure is over 50 years old and at the end of its life. Upgrading this portion of the wastewater system is critically important – it currently moves 75 per cent of the City of Nanaimo’s wastewater to the treatment facility.

Latest News (Updated May 2026)

  • Unidirectional traffic along Hammond Bay Road will be implemented beginning early 2027. The one-way (southbound) approach was selected follow extensive assessment of traffic patterns in the area.
    READ THE FULL UPDATE HERE.
  • Pre-construction work in the area is slated to begin this summer, with work to complete proactive traffic management tools off Hammond Bay Road underway.
  • Continued ground investigation work will continue through mid-late 2026 and will require intermittent single-lane alternating traffic.

Keeping you Informed

We understand this project will be disruptive and of high interest to many in the corridor and throughout the area. This page will be the primary source for updates and information will be shared proactively as details are confirmed.

We invite you to:

Questions? Ask them here

Have any questions about the Departure Bay Pump Station and Forcemain Project? Share them here and the project team will get back to you!

Please Note:

  • We ask that only questions related to the project are asked here. Information provided here will not be shared with the RDN Board of Directors. 
  • To protect your privacy and the privacy of others, please do not include any information that could identify you or another person. Identifying information could include a person’s name, address, email or phone number. Questions that contain personal information will not be published.
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  • Looking for clarification. The Traffic Management Strategy graphic states "Two-way access for ...transit...services." The FAQ's states "Yes, BC Transit Rte 20A northbound will be detoured during construction, except morning hours to help support school transportation needs." 1) Where will Route 20A be detoured outside of "morning hours"? 2) Will BC Transit provide Route 20 (the FAQ only refers to 20A) northbound the length of HBRd? 3) Will BC Transit provide Route 20 southbound the length of of HBRd?

    Transitguy asked 21 days ago

    Hi Transitguy,

    Thank you for your questions. RDN Transportation services staff are currently working with our partners at BC Transit and the City of Nanaimo to confirm the northbound detour route for the 20 (Hammond Bay) and 20A (Hammond Bay via Dover) routes. It's expected that these buses will detour north along Departure Bay Road, Uplands Drive and Rutherford Road before returning to regular routing depending on route number to the Woodgrove Exchange once on Hammond Bay Road. The Route 20 (Hammond Bay) and Route 20A (Hammond Bay via Dover) will remain on regular routing southbound on Hammond Bay Road.

  • Hi. So the one-way in many places makes sense. Would it be possible to leave Hammond Bay to Stephenson Point two way? Pacific Biological Station is the biggest employer out that way and the reduction in traffic from leaving it two way will reduce traffic load on the north end of Nanaimo

    V. asked 23 days ago

    Hi, two-way traffic will be maintained in segments where construction is not active. Depending on your location and regular travel route, you may experience fewer impacts than expected. While construction is taking place in the segments near the Pacific Biological Station, traffic through the active work zone will be limited to one-way operation. As construction moves to the next segment, two-way traffic will reopen in the inactive segments, allowing drivers to travel to and from the north side in both directions.  You can view the Traffic Segment Map here.

  • Are there any accommodations for northbound bicyclists and pedestrians? It's not feasible for a northbound cyclist to detour to Turner Road.

    AL2026 asked about 1 month ago

    Hello - thanks for the question. Cyclists and pedestrians will be able to move in both directions along Hammond Bay Road throughout the construction period.

  • I have lived in Departure Bay since 1986 and use Hammond Bay Road frequently. The kind of traffic I see on that road has increased dramatically in last few years due to development. What concerns me is the width of the road to accommodate cars, bikes, deer and, especially, children. The deer are erratic in their movements but so are young children. Most of them are being shepherded by older siblings or parents. They need safe spaces to walk. My understanding is that the city owns 10 feet of space on each side of the road but home owners have ignored that and use this space for their own. Is the city not willing to reclaim this property to allow for a wider road to accommodate extra traffic and people? In our area connecting Holyrood to Glenayr and Holyrood to Lynburn the city reclaimed property to connect the streets. Yes, homeowners had to move fences and were disgruntled but it wasn’t THEIR property to begin with. Is the repatriation of Hammond Bay city property not worth a child’s life?

    Deborah L asked about 2 months ago


    Hi Deborah - thank you for making us aware of your concerns. There is a high degree of interest in surface improvements along the corridor, and the City will continue to looking for opportunities during this project to improve pedestrian safety, where possible, given limitations in the physical space and costs for improvements. We will publicly share updates as they come.

  • With the upcoming departure bay/Hammond Bay road closure commencing, I am wondering if we can submit an early request to open up an alley that once operated as a road in our neighbourhood but is now purely a pedestrian path to allow access for Maid Court and Prince John Way residents from Roseanne Drive. I have already connected with our neighbours that border the walk way that said they would be happy to allow car access during active construction dates that result in one-way traffic. Happy to put together a formal petition if that is helpful. Screenshot of location attached. To be clear, we would love access to this road only during active construction dates when the portion of Hammond Bay road blocks access to our homes as this would allow us to not have to detour, mitigating further congestion that will result from this work. While we understand the need for one-way traffic, the detours will add an additional 20 minutes (not to mention cost of gas) to our daily commutes. Please note I’ve asked the City of Nanaimo this same request and they’ve passed me along to the RDN, thanks very much for your time and consideration! Our Sherwood Forest community greatly appreciated it.

    Allie asked about 2 months ago

    Hello – thank you for your message and outreach. The project team, including City Traffic Engineers, have reviewed and will not be opening the access of that laneway for several reasons: The laneway is not built to accommodate high levels of traffic and the width and grade of the roadway do not meet City of Nanaimo safe roadway design guidelines. Opening would also bring higher traffic levels into the area and could not be restricted to only residents/properties in the area, creating additional safety challenges.  We understand the impact of the unidirectional traffic on travel times and will be monitoring throughout the project to consider adjustments if needed. 

    Thank you for your understanding.

  • Hi, I live off up Uplands drive and my kids attend Uplands elementary school. I’m worried the increase in traffic along uplands drive will make their daily walk to school unsafe. What measures are being taken to make uplands, and the school zone specifically, safe for children? I’m hoping there will be more pedestrian controlled crosswalks and a bigger shoulder. Thanks

    KHenley asked 2 months ago

    Hello - thanks for your question. Proactive improvements are being planned along the potential bypass routes including points on Uplands Drive - the project team is assessing those plans now and will share details about what mitigation measures will be in place - and where - soon. 

  • During construction will the one-way protocol in the construction zone be 24 hours?

    KDG asked 2 months ago

    Hi KDG, thanks for the question. Yes, the unidirectional traffic will be in place 24 hours/day, as there will not be room for two-way traffic in areas that are under construction (even during inactive hours of night).

  • Will the barricade between Gulfview and Sundown be removed? That will certainly keep traffic moving and will bypass a good portion of the construction.

    Jazzy asked 2 months ago

    Thanks for your comments. Removing the bollards at Gulfview/Sundown was considered; however, no changes are being made at this time. Removing the bollards would reduce travel times for commuters, however it would also increase traffic on a roadway intended primarily for local use. Traffic conditions and community impacts will continue to be monitored throughout the project, and adjustments to the approach may be considered if warranted based on how conditions evolve. It should also be noted that any decision to remove the bollards would require City Council approval.

  • Will the barricade between Gulfview and Sundown be removed? That will certainly keep traffic moving and will bypass a good portion of the construction.

    Jazzy asked 2 months ago

     

  • How did extensive study result in such a badly flawed plan? Removing the bollards at gulfview/sundown would allow traffic southbound to bypass over half of the construction area, majorly reducing inconvenience to the vast majority of Hammond Bay residents. This bypass route would virtually eliminate the construction impacts for over three years of the five year timeline, especially if combined with a bypass via Planta/Sheridan ridge. Together, these routes would bypass construction around 3.6km, or 72% of the 5 km construction area. I think that allowing a few residents in gulfview to be prioritized and given preferential, private access to the public road in front of their homes is a bad choice. I say this as a resident of Tiki Way, who would be similarly negatively affected by my own proposal that would produce additional traffic on "my" road. Furthermore, southbound traffic bypass via that route would be leaving and joining Hammond Bay via right turns only, further improving safety and efficiency vs the poorly thought-out southbound only on Hammond Bay. Finally, the bypass route planned results in bypass traffic going through four additional elementary school zones (Rutherford, Uplands Park, Rock City, and Departure Bay) versus a southerly bypass that would traverse ZERO additional school xones. It would involve almost exclusively right turns via Vanderneuk/lost lake, gulfview, sundown and Oakridge. The only intersection requiring a left turn - at lost lake/Laguna way - could be reconfigured to reduce delays and improve safety (pedestrian crossings moved to west side of intersection only) I am extremely frustrated that the high paid personnel at the regional district have come up with such an inefficient and ill-considered plan that doesn't respect people's time whatsoever. The detour route proposed would result in an additional 10 minutes travel time EVERY SINGLE TIME I LEAVE MY HOUSE. For FIVE YEARS! This is true for all persons in the area, not to mention the additional cost and fuel usage to drive the extra distance (6km or roughly $3 per trip, roughly $140 and 8 hours of my life wasted every month). I am vehemently opposed to this plan in the current form.

    Lucasp asked 2 months ago

    Hello Lucasp - Thanks for your comments. Removing the bollards at Gulfview/Sundown was considered; however, no changes are being made at this time. Removing the bollards would reduce travel times for commuters, however it would also increase traffic on a roadway intended primarily for local use. Traffic conditions and community impacts will continue to be monitored throughout the project, and adjustments to the approach may be considered if warranted based on how conditions evolve. It should also be noted that any decision to remove the bollards would require City Council approval.

    We also wanted to clarify on your point about the length of time that this will impact residents. While we understand this is disruptive and will continue over a long-period of time, we want to be clear that two-way traffic will be available in segments where construction is not active. Depending on where your home is located, and your regular travel route, the impact could be much smaller. For example, if you live in Segment I (between McGuffie and Overlook Drive - see traffic segment map here), you will be limited to unidirectional traffic while work is in that area – however, once work moves to Segment H (Overlook to Planta Rd.), bi-directional traffic will be open in Segment I again – and drivers will be able to come and go from the north side.

     


Page last updated: 17 Jul 2026, 01:52 PM