The City of Fernie is set to begin upgrading the Mountview Dike this summer. The grant funded construction project seeks to extend the existing dike to improve flood resiliency in the Mountview neighbourhood, protecting nearby properties from identified flood risks.
The upgrades will safeguard crucial city infrastructure such as the James White Wells Control Building, the Main Sewage Lift Station, and Mt. McLean Drive, the Mountview neighbourhood’s secondary egress route.
To assist with funding the construction, the city received $750,000 from the Union of BC Municipalities Structural Flood Mitigation grant fund.
The project’s design and permit applications have already been completed, as has tree clearing of the dike alignment and a bird nesting survey. The project is tendered for construction in June, with construction set to occur from mid July until September and a completion date of sometime in October 2020.
While users of James White Park are not expected to be disrupted by construction, residents are urged to respect closures and signage while upgrades are being made, to ensure crew and public safety.
The existing Mountview Dike was built in 1983. In 2019, the city’s Flood Mitigation Plan rendered the Mountview Dike Improvement project as a top priority flood protection project. The plan identified and analyzed flood hazards, recommending further improvements that are currently postponed due to budget constraints.
reporter@thefreepress.ca
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