Midtown Gateway Project
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.
Project Update:
From May 5 to May 23, drivers, cyclists and pedestrians can expect more disruptions as street upgrades continue at the intersection of Bowen and Northfield. These disruptions will be phased and will include partial intersection and road closures. Detours and restrictions are detailed in the Current Traffic Advisories sections below, including detailed maps for each phase.
Drivers should expect delays. Please give yourself extra time and obey all construction signs, detours and traffic control persons. Where possible, commuters are asked to choose an alternate route and avoid the area.
The Midtown Gateway Project is nearing completion; however, construction work will continue into the summer. Drivers can expect more disruptions, night work and temporary closures over the coming months. The project should be fully complete later this summer.
Thank you for your ongoing patience Nanaimo!
CURRENT TRAFFIC ADVISORIES
Here are the latest traffic disruptions to be aware of:
- Construction works continue at the intersection of Bowen Road and Northfield Road and are set to intensify starting May 5. Expect delays. Where possible, commuters are asked to choose an alternate route and avoid the area.
- From April 30 to May 4, Right turns off Bowen Road (southbound) onto Northfield Road (towards Parkway) will not be permitted 24 hours per day. Access to Super Save Gas will be via Northfield Road only. Refer to map below for more details.
- From May 5 to 11, 24 hours per day, the westbound lanes of Northfield Road will be closed at the intersection of Bowen Road. No vehicle access to westbound Northfield Road via Bowen Road will be permitted. The eastbound left turn lane from Northfield Road onto Bowen Road will also be closed. Access to Super Save Gas will be via Bowen Road only. Refer to map below for more details.
- From May 12 to 16, 24 hours per day, Northfield Road will be closed to thru traffic in both directions between Bowen Road and Boxwood Road. The southbound left turn lane from Bowen Road onto Northfeld Road will also be closed. Refer to map below for more details.
- For the Victoria Day long weekend, May 17-19, the intersection of Bowen and Northfield will be open and accessible. Please watch for temporary road conditions or lane closures.
- From May 20 to 23, 24 hours per day, the eastbound lanes of Northfield Road will be closed between Boxwood Road and Bowen Road. The westbound left turn lane from Northfield Road onto Bowen Road, and the southbound left turn lane from Bowen Road onto Northfield Road will also be closed. Refer to map below for more details.
- The Boxwood Road access to 2249 Northfield Road (Katies Korner Childcare) is 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
- 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
- Background
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