Traffic is being diverted away from the industrial road between Highway 19 and Northwest Bay Road in Nanoose Bay.
Since early August, Island Timberlands has been using a security firm to keep drivers off of the logging road between their office off of the highway south of Parksville, and their log sort near the Beachcomber marina. Manager of sustainable timberlands and community affairs Morgan Kennak says the public is being asked not to drive on the road due to safety and liability issues for the company.
The road has been used as a connector between the highway and residential areas off of Northwest Bay Road for years. However, illegal dumping of garbage and land access issues have been problematic for Island Timberlands. The road is an industrial route, Kennak said, adding that many drivers are not giving the right-of-way to logging trucks, creating a safety hazard.
While the road itself is not gated, security trucks periodically monitor the route and will ask drivers to turn around.
In the short term, Kennak said the company will try to keep drivers away. In the long-term, she said the road will be continued to be used by industrial traffic, with no plans to close it.