Abstract Manager

The Abegweit Connects Project was designed and constructed to provide the Abegweit First Nation  (AFN) community with opportunities to make healthy lifestyle choices among nature via a direct,  safe connection from the residential area north of Route 2 (highway) to the Hillsborough River and  Confederation Trail south of the highway in Scotchfort, PE. The consultant was engaged by AFN to  provide engineering design, environmental, and construction services for the Project. The Project  included the design and construction of several active transportation, traffic calming, and support  infrastructure, as well as culvert replacements along sections of Route 2. Key environmental  considerations that were integrated into the design included daylighting of a watercourse and restoring  fish passage from the salt marsh and Hillsborough River south of the highway into watercourses on First  Nations land to the north, as well as trail development through a salt marsh restoring safe access for  traditional use while minimizing impacts to the wetland.

Site specific environmental baseline data was collected through desktop research and field surveys,  including fish and fish habitat assessments, wetland identification and delineation, as well as plant, bird,  and species at risk surveys. The results were used to identify potential environmental constraints, inform  project design,and communicate with regulatory authorities. Recognizing that a portion of the project  footprint (trail and landing area) would interact with a salt marsh, Environment and Climate Change was  engaged at the conceptual phase of the project to discuss potential design and wetland compensation  options. Early engagement led the engineering team to conduct further analysis to explore potential  design and location alternatives for the proposed trail south of the highway, ultimately preventing  scheduling delays and budget creep at later design stages. Early and ongoing engagement with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) informed the design process and provided opportunities to improve fish passage and reduce impacts to fish and fish habitat, including changes to culvert design to meet updated requirements.

Although the project would still require infilling of portions of the aquatic environment and salt marsh,  early engagement allowed for design modifications to meet DFO recommendations and guidelines and,  ultimately, the avoidance of a Fisheries Act Authorization, highlighting the importance of early  and ongoing conversations between the environmental and design teams and regulatory authorities on  transportation projects to minimize environmental effects, reduce costs, and expedite project needs. The project was successfully constructed in 2023 and was awarded the ACEC-PEI Engineering  Excellence Award.