A new roundabout at the intersection of River Road and Beaver Creek Road in Port Alberni remains on track for completion this summer.
The roundabout, which is now operational for drivers, is a project of the BC Ministry of Transportation and Transit and was designed in consultation with the City of Port Alberni, the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District, the Port Alberni Port Authority along with Hupacasath and Tseshaht First Nations.
The high-traffic intersection, which also includes access to Clutesi Haven Marina, was historically troublesome for travelers on the Highway 4 corridor. There are no traffic lights at the intersection, making left turns from Beaver Creek Road or the marina onto Highway 4 difficult.
“The ministry has worked closely with Hupacasath and Tseshaht First Nations throughout planning and construction,” said the Ministry of Transportation and Transit in an email. “This work has included ongoing engagement, information sharing and opportunities for input to help inform design and construction.”
The ministry stated that construction is progressing well at the roundabout and crews continue work on final project pieces, including paving.
“As with most infrastructure work of this scale, construction has involved typical challenges. These have not affected timelines and include coordinating with third-party utilities and responding to site conditions as they are confirmed,” said the ministry. “These challenges have been managed through ongoing planning and adjustments, and work continues to move to completion.”
Benefits expected for the new roundabout include improving traffic flow along Highway 4, enhancing connections to Beaver Creek Road, better sight lines by eliminating the need for left turns and creating more space for cyclists and pedestrians. The new road will also improve access to Clutesi Haven Marina, which will reduce congestion on the highway.
Project improvements will also include widening the western entrance for boat launch users, constructing a new eastern entrance and updating the exit into the roundabout to improve marina access. In addition, new transportation features such as multi-use paths, bicycle-accessible shoulders, sidewalks and shorter, more direct pedestrian crossing points will be added.
The ministry has received feedback from the public through the project website and dedicated email address.
“Overall, feedback has been positive, with many people recognizing the need to improve safety and traffic flow at this busy intersection,” states the ministry.
Valued at over $8 million, the project’s contract was awarded to Windley Contracting Ltd.
There are two key principles for entering an intersection controlled by a roundabout: before entering, look left and yield to all traffic in the roundabout. When entering the intersection controlled by a roundabout, continue moving counter-clockwise and to the right of the rotary traffic island before exiting.
