Midtown Gateway Project
This project is in progress.
The Midtown Gateway Project is transforming a legacy brownfield site impacted by past industrial activity into a revitalized neighbourhood gateway. It features new complete street transportation corridors, a new naturalized storm water wetland with public walking trails, and enhanced access to our premier recreation complex - Beban Park.
Once fully completed, the Midtown Gateway Project will:
- Restore a wetland impacted by historical coal mining activity,
- Create over 2km of new off-street active transportation pathways,
- Enhance accessibility to Beban Park,
- Create a public natural area with walking trails, that will also serve as a detention pond during storm events,
- Unlock a development site for a signature commercial and residential gateway development to the City,
- Create a new transportation network that will increase the safety and comfort for people who walk, bike, take transit, and drive, and
- Improve the safe flow of commercial and industrial goods.
CURRENT TRAFFIC ADVISORIES
Here are the latest traffic disruptions to be aware of:
- Construction continues at the intersection of Northfield Road and Boxwood Road, expect delays.
- Right turns off Northfield Road (eastbound) onto Boxwood Road will not be permitted 24 hours per day until mid April. Please follow posted detour using new roundabout, see map below.
- Boxwood Road, south of Northfield Road, will be reduced to single lane alternating at times. Expect delays.
- The intersection of Rosstown Road and Powder Works Road is now operating as a 3 way-stop, please use caution.
- Please watch of traffic control persons and signage on a section lane way south of Northfield Road, please refer to map below.
- The Boxwood Road access to 2249 Northfield Road (Katies Korner Childcare) is now temporarily closed. Please use the new access via the back laneway, see map below.
- All businesses remain open and accessible.
- All park amenities and programs remain open and accessible
To keep up-to-date on any changes affecting transit service, please visit the Regional District of Nanaimo’s website at www.rdn.bc.ca/transit-service-alerts
For your safety, please watch for temporary surface conditions throughout the project area. Please obey all signs and traffic control persons. Give yourself extra time and expect delays.
Thank you for your patience!
Want to Know More?
Check out the recent construction photos gallery, or the additional information under the tabs below.
Or contact us at midtowngateway@nanaimo.ca
Gallery
- Progress
Phase 1 (Complete)
Phase 1 was completed in 2019 and included site cleanup, environmental remediation, initial ground improvements and construction of a new engineered wetland that also serves as a storm water pond.
Phase 2A (Complete)
Phase 2A started construction August of 2022 and was completed in January 2024. Phase 2A included final ground improvements, underground municipal utilities and installation of two large diameter water supply mains.
One of the first construction activities that was completed during Phase 2A was Rapid Impact Compaction to further compact the soils beneath the future road corridors. Rapid Impact Compaction, or RIC for short, is a specialized soil compaction technique that involves using an excavator fitted with a hydraulic hammer to repeatedly strike an impact plate. A brief video of this work can be found here.
The large diameter water supply mains included in this phase connected to the Midtown Water Supply Upgrades Project. Learn more about this project at www.nanaimo.ca/goto/MidtownWater
Phase 2B (Current)
Windley Contracting Ltd., working on behalf of the City of Nanaimo, started construction of Phase 2B in March 2024.
On January 22, the new signalized intersection on Bowen Road was officially put into service and is now controlling all vehicle, cyclist and pedestrian traffic. The new Beban Parkway (south Beban Park entrance) and Boxwood Road connection is also open to the public.
These changes enhance access to Beban Park and improve Nanaimo’s transportation network with increased options, safety and comfort for people who walk, bike, take transit or drive, while improving the safe flow of commercial and industrial goods.
Beban Parkway now provides access to the new Beban Plaza Lane, which will serve as an easier and safer access point to Beban Plaza for drivers arriving from any direction via the new intersection. Exiting the plaza using Beban Plaza Lane will also be safe and easy. Traffic will turn right onto Beban Parkway, drive around the turning circle and can head back to the new intersection or continue to our Beban Park facilities.
While the new roads and intersection are now open and in use, construction work will continue. Some surface conditions are still incomplete and may be uneven, so please exercise caution, obey all signs placed for your safety, and follow the directions of any flag persons on duty.
Traffic disruptions, night work and sections of road closures will be ongoing until the project reaches completion, which is expected by Fall 2025.
- Documents
Construction Notices
Click here for a copy of the Phase 2B construction startup notice that was delivered to the area surrounding the project site in March 2024.
Nanaimo Transportation Master Plan
The Boxwood Connector, which is part of the Midtown Gateway project, was identified as a major road improvement project in the 2014 Nanaimo Transportation Master Plan
Official Community Plan
The Official Community Plan identifies the project area as an important corridor and envisions a mix of commercial and residential development. Given the geotechnical and environmental challenges, the site has remained undeveloped leaving a large brownfield property in a prominent gateway location.
- Details
Below are some infographics for the Midtown Gateway Project.
Help us improve our website
Collection and use of your personal information
Information collected on this form is done so under the general authority of the Community Charter and
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA), and is protected in accordance with FOIPPA. Questions about the collection of your personal information may be referred to the Legislative Services Department at 250-755-4405, or via email at foi@nanaimo.ca. Please also see our Privacy Policy.