A group concerned about rural road safety in Saanich applauds efforts to improve a local intersection, but also pushed for additional measures.
Pam Harris of Livable Roads for Rural Saanich said her group of Saanich residents concerned about traffic safety in rural parts of Saanich applaud efforts by Saanich to improve the intersection of Sparton Road, West Saanich Road and Prospect Lake Road.
These improvements could see the creation of a traffic circle at that intersection.
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“We urge Saanich to also take advantage of this moment to recognize and address the much broader issues of speeds, volumes, large truck traffic and aggressive driving along the length of Sparton Road, the length of Prospect Lake Road, including southern Old West Saanich and southern Oldfield Roads,” she said. “These are long-standing issues.”
She made these comments as council awarded McElhanney Consulting Services with a contract to start preliminary design on the intersection, which the municipality has identified as a priority. The company could also end up handling additional aspects of the project.
Harris welcomed Saanich’s decision to move ahead with the project before calling for additional improvements.
In June 2018, the public heard from the group that several rural roads in the northwestern corner of Saanich, including Prospect Lake Road, were never designed to handle the speed, volume or size of traffic currently seen.
The roads share several similarities, including a lack of shoulders, blind corners and a lack of space – a combination that has led to conflicts between local residents and out-of-area motorists.
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The public also heard Monday that the intersection could either see a traffic circle or a traffic light.
“We will be looking at both options,” said Harley Machielse, director of engineering. This said, it will require additional work to see if both options are ultimately feasible.
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