Plans for a waterfront walkway with an elevated viewing platform are set to go to Qualicum Beach council next week.
Council is expected to vote on whether to call for bids for the project, as the town continues improvements to its kilometres-long beachfront.
Work to improve parking and create a walking-cycling corridor along Highway 19A has already begun.
Plans call for the project, to cost $636,000, to be finished by summer, with support from a provincial fund to help communities survive the pandemic.
A rain garden at the intersection of Memorial Avenue and Crescent Road has already been completed, along with a separated multi-use pathway and restoration of the Beach Creek estuary.
The planned walkway will be on the water side of the Memorial Avenue waterfront roundabout, which was completed in 2021, Mayor Teunis Westbroek said Thursday.
Qualicum Beach has received about $500,000 in federal-provincial funds toward the walkway, which will be “spectacular” for both residents and tourists, Westbroek said.
It will be built above Beach Creek Estuary and marine spit, and special kiosks with water and power hookups will be installed for mobile vendors and food trucks.
Interpretive signs will highlight marine life and vegetation below the walkway and point to nearby islands, said planning director Luke Sales.
“Attractive and durable” street furniture will be installed on the viewing platform, along with a public bicycle repair stand, he said.
If the project proceeds, work would be done during July and August so as to avoid damaging fish habitat. Steel pilings would be pounded into place, with a concrete walkway built over top, he said.
“That is probably the most exciting waterfront project we have seen in a while.”
The roundabout links the uptown to the waterfront and beyond and is a gateway to welcome visitors, Sales said.
The changes will also improve safety at what was once the highest crash location in the community, the town said.
To improve parking, a contractor is filling in a ditch on the inshore side of Highway 19A at the base of a bluff. Pavement about three to four metres wide is being installed along 420 metres, Sales said.
The project aligns with the community’s master plan for the waterfront, which includes making the area more accessible, he said.
“It’s actually expanding the amount of room available.”
Upgraded space for about 60 vehicles to parallel park is being developed in three sections along the road.
As well, a painted line will run next to parked vehicles designating a shared pathway for pedestrians and cyclists.
The contractor is putting down storm pipes and installing gravel in the ditch to “future-proof” the project. Pipes will be able to deal not only with current weather conditions but with heavy rains and storms associated with climate change, he said.
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