Crews completed the Highway 19 Nanaimo asphalt resurfacing project last week, finishing 90 lane kilometres of new pavement for the Ministry of Transportation and Transit. The work covered Highway 19 between the Duke Point Ferry Terminal and Highway 1, along with side roads in the Extension, Cassidy, and East Wellington areas.

Dawson Construction asphalt plant with aggregate feed bins, conveyors and stockpiles, with a wheel loader and service trucks on site

Setting Up Shop on Vancouver Island

Dawson Construction moved its equipment to Vancouver Island by barge and BC Ferries, then set up an asphalt plant on site at the local aggregates pit. Crushing operations started in June 2026, producing the material for the new road surface.

Milling machine working at night on a road near Nanaimo, BC, with a crew member signalling to the operator and paint markings on the pavement
Roller with work lights on at night, approaching a freshly paved highway lane near Nanaimo, BC, with traffic cones and a concrete barrier along the road

Highway 19 Nanaimo Asphalt Resurfacing

Highway 19 between the Duke Point Ferry Terminal and Highway 1 carries commuters, commercial traffic, and ferry travellers, so much of the highway work took place at night. Crews milled 60mm of existing asphalt, with an additional 80mm removed where pavement repairs were needed, before paving the new surface. Traffic management was in place throughout to keep the corridor moving.

Freshly paved asphalt road lined with tall evergreen trees near Nanaimo, BC, with two rollers working in the distance

Nanaimo Side Road Paving

Crews pulverized the existing road surface, placed new aggregate, and finished with a 125mm asphalt overlay. Twelve roads were paved in total:

  • Extension area: Nanaimo River Road, White Rapids Road, Extension Road, South Forks Road, and Nanaimo Lakes Road
  • Cassidy area: Timberlands Road, Hallberg Road, Graham Road, and Cameron Road
  • East Wellington area: Jameson Road, Kilpatrick Road, and Webster Road

Thank you to residents, commuters, and ferry travellers for their patience while crews worked through the season.