Transportation improvements for Rosemont, Uphill revealed in upcoming open house
By Timothy Schafer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Safety, sightlines and a separate bike path could be up for an upgrade as the city continues the process of re-designing the link between Rosemont and Uphill.
Called the Rosemont Transportation Improvements project, the City of Nelson is proposing to improve the transportation system between Uphill and Rosemont along Observatory Street, Vancouver Street and Silver King Road.
In all, the proposed changes could include redesigning five intersections to increase safety and sightlines, said city planner Matt Kuziak in a press release on the city’s website.
“Proposed improvements will include safer routing for pedestrians, better sightlines and more efficient traffic flows for drivers and a separated lane for cyclists,” he wrote.
To move the idea further down the road to realization the city is hosting an open house — a free-flowing discussion — for the project Tuesday, Feb. 21 at Granite Pointe Golf Course clubhouse (4-7 p.m.). There will not be a scheduled presentation.
In late January conceptual designs of the Rosemont Transportation Improvements were completed and will soon be publicly available. In the interim, city staff are collecting feedback from the community on the designs to ensure they fit with how the community operates, said Kuziak.
One of the ideas proposed for the redesign include removing the need to walk around the Vancouver Street curve, building a covered stairway up a steep walking path from Observatory Street to Vancouver Street.
Vehicle traffic on the Observatory Street overpass that crosses Highway 6 would be reduced to one lane in each direction — with an additional right turn lane for each direction — in order to construct a bi-directional bike lane on the north side of the overpass. Flex posts would be installed to separate vehicular traffic from the bikes.
Three intersections are expected to undergo changes for improved visibility under the redesign: Silver King Road and West Richards Street; Vancouver Street and Observatory Street; and Hall Mines Road and Observatory Street.
After the open house city staff will present the project to city council in Fall, 2023, with construction expected to commence in spring, 2024.
