The Town of Qualicum Beach has secured grant funding of $1.374M toward the replacement of two corrugated steel culverts located on Crescent Road East.
The funding, provided jointly by the federal and provincial governments, is part of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
“We are grateful for the support of the federal and provincial governments as we work together towards a brighter, more resilient future,” said Mayor Teunis Westbroek. “This initiative underscores our combined commitment to sustainability, resilience and the well-being of our community.”
The funding is a key step toward completing the project. With a total budget provision of $2,067,400, the grant funding will assist the town in ensuring the successful completion.
“Now more than ever, Canadians are seeing the devastating effects of climate-related events and extreme weather in our communities. Investing in projects such as these is essential to safeguarding our communities and protecting them from the impacts of environmental changes,” said Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.
READ MORE: Qualicum Beach culvert replacement project to cost an extra $192K
The culverts, situated beneath a deep road embankment crossing the fish-bearing Beach Creek, are required for maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem and safeguarding community infrastructure.
Currently, they are unable to withstand future pressures and are at risk of failing, which would lead to flooding and the collapse of the embankment, jeopardizing the habitat supporting spawning coho salmon. A failure could additionally pose a significant threat to the town’s major sanitary sewer trunk main, resulting in a potential raw sewage spill into Beach Creek.
To address the concerns, the town has initiated a project that includes the reconstruction of the culverts, along with structural embankment reinforcement, installation of a fish-passable flow control structure, replacement of water mains and partial road reconstruction.
The project is scheduled to run from June to November 2024, requiring road diversions on Crescent Road East and intermittent traffic and pedestrian interruption.
For further information, visit qualicumbeach.com/bc_culvert_repair.