Naughton walking path
Starting this fall of 2023, the road surface used for the temporary construction detour on Naughton Avenue will be removed. A gravel walking path will be constructed and the surrounding area will be replanted.
The Naughton detour was constructed as a temporary roadway to alleviate traffic disruption during construction of the Gallant storm sewer on upper Gallant Avenue in 2021-2022 and reopened to traffic during construction of the Livable Deep Cove Project on lower Gallant Avenue.
Council decided on April 25, 2022, to convert the road to an unpaved path and revegetate the area following community input and technical considerations.
News & updates
August 4, 2023 – Detour closed; path construction planned for fall/winter 2023
The Naughton Detour has been closed to traffic following the reopening of lower Gallant Avenue. The sidewalk along this section of Deep Cove Road will be permanently reinstalled in fall 2023. Removal of the detour’s asphalt road surface, revegetation of the area, and construction of a narrow gravel walking path, initially planned for 2024, will now take place in fall/winter 2023, completing in early 2024.
June 16, 2023 – Update
The Naughton Avenue detour will be closed to traffic in late July, pending completion of Livable Deep Cove construction on lower Gallant Avenue.
In 2024, work on Naughton Avenue detour is expected to start on the revegetation and conversion to a walking path.
Community input
Exploring ideas
Notice of the detour sparked interest and concern from the community regarding the future of the Naughton Avenue detour when the Gallant Creek storm sewer replacement construction is complete. To help residents share their thoughts and ideas, on March 17, 2021, we launched a digital Ideas Board on our Civil Space online engagement platform.
To get the conversation started, we posted suggestions we had heard during our meetings with community members about the storm sewer project. Specifically, we suggested the following three ideas:
- Put it back the way it was
- Make it an accessible path for walking and cycling
- Make it a permanent road
To participate, people had the option to add their own ideas, offer comments, or like (or dislike) existing ideas. Our goal was to understand the range of potential ideas and questions, comments and concerns people have about all the ideas that came forward to help us plan effectively.
People had the opportunity to share their views as many times as they liked. Rather than a survey or voting tool, the Ideas Board served as a tool to gather ideas generated by the community.
Community feedback
The ideas board closed on July 23, 2021, approximately three weeks after the temporary detour opened for use on July 5. A total of 17 ideas were posted, ranging from transportation ideas for vehicles and active modes such as walking and biking to concerns for the environment. Each idea generated a number of comments.
Some people want the District to keep the detour open for various forms of traffic, while others would like it to be returned to pre-detour conditions. “Put it back the way it was” emerged as the idea with the most likes and the most overall comments at this preliminary stage.
For more information, read the Naughton Ideas Summary.
Additional input on the future of Naughton detour was received as part of open-ended responses to our Lower Gallant Pedestrian Area online survey in June during which 818 residents responded, most of whom live in Deep Cove. Comments ranged from “close the detour” to “make it permanent.” For more information, read the Lower Gallant Pedestrian Area Engagement Summary.
Community Survey
From November 22 to December 12, 2021, we sought further community input through an online engagement. This community feedback will be presented to Council on February 28, 2022.
Learn more about the Gallant Avenue storm sewer replacement project.
Detour archive
December 5, 2022 – Reopening of detour in 2023
In early 2023, the Naughton detour will be reopened to vehicle traffic to ensure safe and efficient traffic circulation through Deep Cove during construction of the Livable Deep Cove project along Gallant Avenue between Panorama Avenue and Banbury Avenue.
Following construction, the Naughton detour will be decommissioned and revegetated as an unpaved walking path. The expected completion of this work will be 2024.
April 27, 2022 – Final paving on Gallant Avenue and Naughton detour closure
Final paving on Gallant Avenue is scheduled for Thursday, April 28, weather permitting. On paving day, a full road closure of upper Gallant will be required. Please follow all detour signage and traffic control instructions.
Following road markings and line painting on Friday, April 29, the Naughton Avenue construction detour will be closed to vehicles.
April 25, 2022 – Revegetation of Naughton Ave. detour approved by Council
Council discussed the future of the Naughton Avenue detour on Monday, April 25, 2022, and approved a variation of Direction #1 – Revegetate, including an unpaved walking pathway.
April 25, 2022 — Naughton Avenue Detour update to Council
The Naughton Avenue Detour engagement survey results and recommendations will be presented to Council on April 25, 2022 at 7pm.
April 19, 2022 – Preparation for final paving on Gallant Avenue
Final paving on Gallant Avenue is scheduled for late April, weather permitting. The Naughton Avenue construction detour will be temporarily reopened on April 19 for approximately two weeks to allow crews to prepare for this work.
A full closure of upper Gallant Ave with a traffic detour will be required for two days to complete the final paving.
March 28, 2022 – Council workshop
The Naughton Avenue construction detour will be discussed at a Council Workshop at 7pm on March 28, 2022.
February 28, 2022 – Naughton Avenue engagement results to be presented to Council
Staff will provide community engagement results on the future use of the Naughton Avenue construction detour.
February 4, 2022 – Two-way traffic set to return on Gallant Avenue
The Naughton Avenue detour is scheduled to close towards the end of next week, following the substantial completion of the sidewalks on Gallant Avenue. Full-time, two-way traffic is expected along Gallant until the Naughton detour is temporarily reopened in the spring for the final sidewalk work and paving on Gallant Avenue.
Please note that parking along Gallant may be restricted to allow the contractors to do landscaping and other work.
We look forward to completing the landscaping work in Panorama Park in early spring and welcoming the public to enjoy the park once it is complete.
January 21, 2022 – Construction update
Sidewalk construction on Gallant Avenue is nearing completion. Once the sidewalks are constructed, two-way traffic will return on Gallant Avenue, and the Naughton Avenue detour will be closed. The detour will be briefly reopened later in the spring to allow for the final paving of Gallant.
November 30, 2021 – Naughton detour reopening temporarily
The detour on Naughton Avenue will be temporarily reopened to ensure safe and efficient access in and out of Deep Cove during the heavy rain forecast this week.
Since the detour closed, more single-lane alternating traffic has been required than was initially anticipated, and significant rainfall from heavy storms in quick succession has created potholes on the gravel surface on upper Gallant.
Contractors will begin reopening the detour on Tuesday, November 30.
November 22, 2021 — Community engagement goes live
Now through December 12, we are seeking the community's input on the future of Naughton Avenue. Take the survey.
November 18, 2021 — Upcoming closure of Naughton Avenue detour
With the installation of the culvert now complete, the Naughton Avenue detour is expected to close during the week of November 22.
After the detour is closed, two-way traffic will resume on upper Gallant Avenue during non-construction hours. During construction hours, single-lane alternating traffic will be required to accommodate completion of road construction on upper Gallant.
November 2, 2021 — Community survey
With scheduled construction coming to an end, we will launch a survey this month to hear from the community about the future of Naughton Avenue. This is in line with our commitment to conduct a more formal public consultation, as follow-up to the ideas that the community contributed to the Ideas Board earlier this year.
To ensure you don’t miss your opportunity to have your say, please sign up for updates below and we will contact you with the link to the survey once it launches. We’ll also post information on our Twitter and Facebook channels and on signs throughout Deep Cove Village.
The results of the survey will be presented to Council in early 2022.
Detour details
The detour was constructed on 100 metres of the Naughton Avenue right-of-way between Panorama Drive and Deep Cove Road, creating a short one-way loop for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles (see map below). We notified residents in late November 2020 and the detour construction was completed in late June 2021.
