The City of Courtenay has wrapped up a series of safety and accessibility improvements at the busy intersection of Cliffe Avenue and 5th Street.

The project removed the northbound right-turn channel and added a fourth pedestrian crossing.

According to the City, the upgrades make the intersection easier to navigate, improve accessibility, and create better connections for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

More than 20,000 vehicles, along with roughly 1,400 pedestrians and 500 cyclists, pass through the intersection every day.

Mayor Bob Wells says the information collected through the project will help the City better understand traffic patterns, improve operations, respond to changing conditions and support real-time decision-making.

The work also formed part of Courtenay's Intelligent Intersection Pilot, which launched in January using an AI-powered traffic analytics system.

Data collected before and after construction will help evaluate how the upgrades have improved the intersection.

Following the pilot's success, intelligent traffic monitoring is now being expanded to intersections along designated Safe Routes to School corridors, including Island Highway and Veterans Memorial Parkway, Lerwick Road and Mission Road, Lerwick Road and Idiens Way, Lerwick Road and Malahat Drive, and an expanded monitoring area at Cliffe Avenue and 5th Street.

The pilot supports Council's priorities for transportation, accessibility, mobility and community safety while laying the groundwork for future intelligent transportation systems.

For more information, visit City of Courtenay.