The Big Infrastructure Gap (BIG) project is the City of Prince Rupert's plan to upgrade and replace the most critical of our aged water and sewer infrastructure. A significant proportion of our system is beyond its usable life, as evidenced by near constant failures in water distribution lines that have been increasing in frequency over the past few years. Simply put, without this work, there is a risk of failure of our water supply, and by virtue of that, potentially our community.
By replacing deteriorating water and sewer mains, valves, and associated components, the project will bring us back from potential failure of our system. It will enable us to redirect water and sewer spending that is currently exhausted every year by emergency repairs back where it belongs - into planned capital replacements. What we're looking to accomplish is essentially a hard reset of our water and sewer distribution system, and with a significant amount of the necessary funding now in place, we're well on our way to accomplishing this goal.
This is a significant generational investment into our infrastructure that will help to secure it for years to come. It will improve the reliability of service delivery, enhance water quality, and minimize future disruptions in our distribution system.
So how is the BIG project going to look in practice?
The project will be divided into corridors, focusing on areas with a high-likelihood and consequence of failure first.
As noted above, there are several critical areas (26 km in total) marked for replacement. Given the scope of the work and necessary design, the schedule may shift. The City and our contractors will do their best to provide as much notice as possible to residents in affected neighborhoods, through individual notices, site signage, and online updates. While the map highlights all priority areas, not every section may be replaced in this phase of construction. However, the goal is to complete as much as possible. Throughout the project, this webpage and related communications will keep you informed about upcoming work and relevant details.
Current Road Closures
Stay informed about traffic disruptions caused by the municipal water infrastructure replacement project through our comprehensive table below. We are doing our best to minimize disruptions while keeping you informed about the traffic management measures in place.
See our Live Map of Road Closures
| Status | Road Closed | Description | Expected Timeline | Detours |
| In Progress | Shawatlans Rd from Fredrick St, 700m east until the service access road | Road will be fully closed, no access points to be obstructed | Planned Completion in October, 2024 | Drivers are encouraged to use alternate routes via Yellowhead Highway 16 |
| Starting November 6th | Prince Rupert Blvd and Frederick Street (road leading to Industrial site road and Highway exit) | Road will be full closed, with local traffic access only | Planned completion in Summer 2025 | Drivers to take alternate routes to access Highway 16 via Prince Rupert Blvd |
| Starting January 20th | Crestview Drive - 177 Crestview to 325 Crestview Drive as well as the corner of Crestview and Victoria | Rolling road closures of different sections of the road as project progresses | 16 week construction timeline | Detour via Applewhaite Drive |
Upcoming Road Closures
Year One Corridors, where future road closures can be expected, are listed below with works anticipated in the Fall/Winter of 2024/2025:
- Prince Rupert Blvd/Frederick Street
- Back half of Crestview
- Conrad and Victoria Street
- 11th Avenue
- Alfred and Bacon Street
- Areas of Hays Cove Ave
- And areas of 10th, 9th, 8th and 7th
This project is supported through grant funds from the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada.
