Bowen Road Project FAQ
Q1: Why are the road upgrades along Bowen Road required?
- Bowen Road is identified for pavement renewal and water distribution system replacement (over 800 meters of pipe under the road).
- The Bowen Road project is a step towards the City’s asset management goals while providing a greener, more sustainable, multi-modal network that accommodates all user groups.
- Nanaimo is one of the fastest growing communities in BC. This means the City must plan ahead to ensure sustainable modes of transportation are incorporated into today’s projects for future uses.

Q2: Will the sidewalks on Bowen Road be replaced? What accessibility features will be included for more vulnerable users?
- The existing sidewalks and curbs will remain in place; however, accesses will be rebuilt to maintain continuous sidewalks.
- New curb ramps and a curb extension will be installed at Cienar Drive.
- New tactile warning surface indicators (TWSIs) will be added to curb ramps and bus stops for the visually impaired.
Q3: Will there be cycling facilities added to Bowen (Labieux to Hwy 19A)?
- This project includes continuous routes for cyclists on both sides of the road.
- The raised bike lanes on this portion of Bowen Road are designed to strengthen the connection from the E&N trail to Beban Park and the off-Bowen Bike Route.
Q4: What safety features will be added?
- The project is primarily one of asset management. However, a few safety improvements incorporated into the Bowen Road project are from the Provincial Government’s BC Community Road Safety Toolkit, created in the hopes of working towards Vision Zero in communities throughout the province.
Q5: How much will the improvements cost?
- The improvements will cost approximately $2 million.

Q6: Will Bowen Road be narrowed?
- Yes; however, Bowen Road's lane widths are actually being 'right-sized'. The wide lanes throughout the City were actually originally designed to be shared-use lanes with a vehicle and a cyclist riding side-by-side.
- Given that the road is a truck route and bus route, the minimum lane widths required will still be maintained and will be the same as other busy roads throughout the City, such as Terminal Avenue.
- Narrowing travel lanes is a commonly used and recommended approach to traffic calming (as seen in the Provincial Government’s BC Community Road Safety Toolkit on Page 7 of Module 2).
Q7: Who will maintain the sidewalks and medians?
- As per the City’s current bylaw, snow clearing of sidewalks is the responsibility of the adjacent property owner.
- Center medians will be maintained by the City. Plantings are chosen to be low-maintenance.
Q8: When will this be built?
- The project was tendered in April 2020 and will be constructed through the summer and fall months.
- Bowen will be open to traffic during the day to reduce disruptions to businesses and traffic along the corridor.
- Construction will be completed at night. Expect delays and use alternate routes between 7pm and 7 am.