Rotary Riverside Trail to be Repaired and Reopened

Highly anticipated repairs to the Rotary Riverside Trail in west Courtenay are scheduled to start this week.

The trail runs parallel to the Puntledge River, and is located behind the River Heights Church (old Rod and Gun Club) at the end of Robert Lang Drive. A portion of the trail has been closed since February, when hillside erosion led to concerns for the stability of the trail and stairways.

This past spring, the City of Courtenay commissioned a geotechnical and structural review from consulting engineers to determine options for trail remediation.

A contractor has now been tasked with completing the repairs, which will include realigning parts of the walkway, installing new timber stairs and crushed gravel, and new fencing.

Mike Kearns, the City of Courtenay’s manager of parks, said the trail repairs will reconnect an important link in the west Courtenay trail network. “This is a very popular trail in the area,” noted Kearns. “In addition to being a very scenic trail, it also connects the Ruth Masters Greenway to the Riverside trails heading east and south. We’re thankful to the public for their patience with the necessary detours that were in place, and we’re looking forward to having this trail repaired and accessible to the public once again.”

The repairs are expected to be completed within the next two or three weeks.

For more information, contact City of Courtenay Public Works at 250-338-1525 or email publicworks@courtenay.ca