Preferred option

No timeline on installation of roundabout at busy intersection

Aroundabout seems to be the preferred option to address safety concerns at the intersection of Highway 62 and County Road 1. Tim Belliveau of Stantec Consulting, working on behalf of the Ministry of Transportation (MTO), told Council at its Planning meeting on Wednesday, that a roundabout was selected over the other options as it would address safety concerns at the intersection and was the least invasive option in regards to nearby properties, businesses and the environment.

Following municipal pressure in 2021 to fix the intersection, Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation at the time, visited the intersection joined by Mayor Steve Ferguson, MPP Todd Smith and OPP Detachment Commander John Hatch.

In 2022, the province agreed to begin a study looking at improvements, and Stantec Consulting was hired by the MTO to undertake a preliminary design and class environmental assessment for the intersection improvements.

Mayor Steve Ferguson asked what he called a fairly obvious question. “ What is the timeline to begin construction if everything falls into place?”

Belliveau wouldn’t give a firm answer.

“At this point the Ministry has committed to finishing this study and I believe funding is in place to start the next phase of the project, that would be the detailed design phase,” he said. “If we can wrap this up, hopefully that detailed design study can start sometime in the next year or so and proceed to construction after that, pending funding.”

Sham Hunt, Project Manager with the Ministry of Transportation said it could be a wonderful outcome for the County. “A roundabout forces drivers to slow down and by doing that the collisions are less severe,” he said.

The transportation and environmental study report will be published before this summer for public review. A recommended plan will be presented, and the public will have 30 days to provide comment.