Local residents frustrated about detouring traffic from Hwy. 401

With Kingston seemingly dealing with a Highway 401 closure weekly, residents surrounding the major artery are feeling the pressure with detouring traffic. Last week, the busy highway was shut down twice, once for a fatal accident near the Odessa OnRoute. Every time a closure happens, the traffic is detoured through several side roads, putting thousands of drivers on single-lane routes.

Marjorie Marr has lived by the busy roadway of County Road 2 for almost 50 years. She says although there have been lanes added to the road, there needs to be more to alleviate the pressure when Highway 401 is shut down.

“It’s extremely busy. It needs to be four lanes now,” Marr says. “Whenever there is a major accident on the 401, the traffic is non-stop all day. It is frustrating, and getting in and out of the driveway is frustrating.”

Last week, a truck fire forced the closure of the highway near Napanee — shutting down the road for nearly 12 hours.

Rob Leblanc in Loyalist Township had to deal with the traffic outside his house. He says the biggest issue when the rush hits his neighbourhood is the speed.

“Once the traffic starts coming down here, you’ll even see people starting to speed, even when they don’t need to.”

Leblanc says that the detours can even be dangerous.