The province says it is considering changes to the intersection of Highway 7/8 and Ira Needles Boulevard in Kitchener, where dozens of crashes have occurred over the past few years.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Transportation told Global News that a review was conducted of the intersection where cars exiting the highway arrive at a stop sign and are forced to wait for a break in traffic before making a left onto Ira Needles Boulevard/Trussler Road.
“Ministry staff completed a review at this location that included looking at traffic volumes, delays and collision history,” the spokesperson told Global News in an email.
“Our analysis indicated that there is a benefit to intersection improvements, which could include the addition of traffic signals or a roundabout.”
The spokesperson said that the ministry is currently working on details of the plan with Waterloo Region.
Meanwhile, Waterloo Regional Police say there have been more than two dozen collision at the intersection since 2018.
“Between January 1, 2019, and June 29, 2022, there have been 25 collisions at Highway 7/8 and Ira Needles Boulevard. 19 of them are property damage collisions and six are collisions with injury (two major, four minor),” a police spokesperson told Global News.
They were unable to provide a comparison between the intersection and others off of Highway 7/8.
Just last week, police reported that a motorcycle rider from Oxford County was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after his bike was struck by a pickup truck looking to make a left off the highway onto Ira Needles.
The woman by the wheel of the pickup truck was also transported to hospital after being injured in the collision.
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