WATCH: A safety review finds the recently opened intersection at Kearney Lake Road and Larry Uteck Boulevard poses increased safety risks and recommends dozens of changes be made. Despite the report, city staff say it’s a safe intersection but others disagree. Marieke Walsh reports.
HALIFAX – A February safety review released Thursday finds the recently opened intersection at Kearney Lake Road and Larry Uteck Boulevard poses increased safety risks and recommends dozens of changes be made to the intersection.
The report, released after multiple requests from Global News, was commissioned by city staff because of safety concerns raised following the opening of the intersection in December 2014. The report from the Griffin Transportation Group finds problems with the Kearney Lake Road approach, the Larry Uteck Boulevard southbound approach, and the left turn lane from Kearney Road onto Larry Uteck Boulevard.
Since it opened Halifax Regional Police said five accidents at the intersection have been reported to police. Transportation Professor Ahsan Habib, of Dalhousie University, said that is a “very high number” for a six month time frame.
Habib said the Kearney Lake approach to Larry Uteck Boulevard poses the most safety risks because there is a blind approach to the intersection. The safety review appears to confirm that, and lists a number of contributing factors including: limited sight lines, poor intersection conspicuity, and minimum guidance from the signage
It concludes saying the above factors “contribute to a significant increase in the safety risk and likelihood of collisions.”
The report proposed three varying levels of retrofits to the intersection. Described as countermeasures A, B and C, the most drastic recommendation is to “relocate and reconstruct” the intersection further north “to improve intersection conspicuity.”
The city has already rejected that proposal. In an emailed statement spokesperson Tiffany Chase said the “recommendation is problematic due to underground water main infrastructure in that area, and will not be pursued.”
Chase said the city will pursue other recommendations including “improved traffic signage, lane width reduction, pavement markings, curb realignments, and installation of other sightline visual cues.”
However, one recommendation that won’t be implemented is replacing the stop sign at Kearney Lake Road with traffic lights. Chase said the intersection doesn’t meet the criteria for traffic lights, set out in national standards. But Habib said traffic lights could go a long way in improving the intersection safety.
“I was a frequent user of Kearney Lake Road prior to this intersection. Now a days, I try to avoid this road,” Habib said.
Comments