Big Infrastructure Gap (BIG) Project Started on Shawatlan Road
PRINCE RUPERT, SEPTEMBER 6th, 2024- Designs are nearing completion for the first year or so of priority corridors for water and sewer replacement on the east side of the community, with the first residential impacts to the project coming in September.
“We’re proud to celebrate the progress made thus far on a project that is essential to fostering resiliency in Prince Rupert for generations to come,” said the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. “Upgrading and replacing the city’s aging water and sewer infrastructure will safeguard against seismic and other extreme events, protect livelihoods, and help secure one of our country’s busiest trade corridors.”
"Communities must be able to rely on their water pipes and sewer systems, and I thank everyone involved for the progress made to the Prince Rupert Watermain and Sewer Line Upgrades Project,” said Anne Kang, Minister of Municipal Affairs. “I am proud of the cross-government partnership with the City of Prince Rupert and the federal government to ensure that the City has dependable water and sewer systems to support its growth and the wellbeing of its residents."
“We’re happy to be providing a much-anticipated follow up to earlier announcements that this project met its substantial funding objectives in the spring,” said Mayor Herb Pond. “In the coming month, this work is going to begin in earnest in our residential areas, a critical first step in securing Prince Rupert’s water system for future generations of neighbourhoods.”
Following the securing of funding in the late Spring, work began on Shawatlan Road and crews were in multiple areas of the east side of the community doing geotechnical work to identify the location of existing utilities to inform design plans.
These corridors were prioritized based on their highest risk and likelihood of failure based on the known age and condition of infrastructure in the area. Below are the approximate locations of the year 1 corridors and their scheduled start dates.
- Shawatlan Road – in progress
- Back half of Crestview – to start October 2024
- Conrad Street – to start October 2024
- 11th Avenue – to start March of 2025
- Alfred Street – to start mid-December 2024
- Bacon Street – to start end of October 2024
- Areas of Hays Cove Ave – to start end of January 2025
- 10th Avenue East – to start end of November 2024
- 9th Avenue East – to start end of November 2024
- 8th Avenue East – to start end of January 2025
- 7th Avenue East – to start end of February 2025
Please note that during the design phase of this project, there may be slight adjustments based on new information received during planning and potentials to achieve efficiencies.
Residents in impacted areas are encouraged to head to our information page, which provides additional background on the project and answers a number of questions that residents may have about the coming impacts of construction. That information can be found, here: https://engage.princerupert.ca/big.
Although disruptive in the short term, this project is a significant generational investment into infrastructure in the prescribed areas. It will improve the reliability of service delivery, enhance water quality and minimize future disruptions in our distribution system. Once this project is complete, the City will be in an appropriate position to tackle its water treatment challenges.
BACKGROUND
The Big Infrastructure Gap (BIG) project is the City of Prince Rupert's plan to upgrade and replace the most critical of our aged water and sewer infrastructure and increase its resilience to seismic events. There are significant areas (26 km total) that have been identified as priorities for replacement. Given the volume of work needed to be done as well as design work needed, the schedule for work may be variable.
If you are curious about whether your street will be impacted, you can check out the "Map of High Risk/Likelihood of Failure Water Mains" document on the project website to see if your street is among those slated for major replacement work. Please note that although this map identifies all areas that are priority for replacement, not all areas on this map may be replaced during the current construction schedule. As the project continues, this webpage and associated communication materials will showcase the upcoming corridors and relevant project information.
The BIG Project will provide inter-generational benefits to our community. By upgrading our aging infrastructure, we aim to provide the following improvements:
- A generational investment into our failing infrastructure that will safeguard the water supply system from potential future failure
- Reliability and improved efficiency in delivering clean drinking water to Prince Rupert’s residents and business's
- Economic growth through the creation of employment opportunities and local construction capacity
- Additional resilience to our water system, improving emergency preparedness, protecting the water system against natural disasters
This project is supported through grant funds from the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada, as well as municipal borrowing. The federal government is investing $77.2 million in this project through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund, while the municipality is contributing $50.8 million. The Province of British Columbia has invested $65 million.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Veronika Stewart, Manager of Communications, Engagement and Social Development
Office: (250) 627 0976
Cell: (778) 884 6285
Email: veronika.stewart@princerupert.ca