Fernie Valley Pathway
2020 – Ongoing | Fernie, BC
The Fernie Valley Pathway (FVP) is a multi-phased partnership project driven by the City of Fernie and Fernie Trails Alliance (FTA) to create an active transportation network connecting the City of Fernie with Fernie Alpine Resort. The ultimate trail will combine over six kilometers of paved and accessible multi-use trails to support the community’s vision for a robust, multi-modal transportation system. McElhanney completed the preliminary design of this envisioned pathway for the Fernie Trails Alliance, then prepared a grant application for construction of the phase within the City of Fernie limits.
In 2021, the City of Fernie was awarded $1,619,000 to fund the detailed design and construction of Segment 1B of the FVP. Segment 1B is 1.69km in length and connects central Fernie and its neighbourhoods to Mount Fernie Provincial Park. It also provides an inclusive and safe link to the residential communities of Riverside and the Cedars, and to hotels, restaurants, and other businesses along the highway.
During the design process, McElhanney prioritized:
- Improving public safety: the existing option along the highway shoulder was poorly defined and not separated from vehicle traffic.
- Practical and efficient routing: beyond keeping the route short, cost-effective, and unnecessarily obtrusive, other conditions were kept in mind including avoidance of utility conflicts, maintaining existing drainage, MoTI’s design criteria for Active Transportation Corridors.
- Coordinate regulatory requirements and needs of stakeholders: this included a balance of MoTI, Fernie Trails Alliance, utility companies, businesses and private residents along the highway, and City of Ferni residents.
- Observe budgetary constraints: managed closely from design to construction to keep project within limits of available grant funding.
- Balancing pedestrian safety with budget constraints and adjacent residents and business impacts.
Learn more about the Fernie Valley Pathway here.
McElhanney provided:
- Grant writing
- Preliminary design and report
- Geotechnical investigation
- Hydrotechnical analysis, report, and design
- Detailed pathway design
- Bridge design
- MoTI permitting
- Water Sustainability Act permitting
- Contract administration
- Construction inspection
- Public consultation, including council presentations and public meetings.
