As Kingston, Ont.,’s Waaban Crossing nears one week of public operation, some people already feel there are problems.
Some Kingstonians have reported to Global News that they’ve seen motorists taking advantage of the long, fresh strip of pavement, and exceeding the 60 kilometre per hour posted speed limit.
With new road infrastructure also comes new traffic law enforcement space, and the Kingston police are keeping their eyes peeled.
“We’re asking people to slow down, get the feel for the bridge, respect the speed limits and go from there,” said Sgt. Steve Koopman of the Kingston Police Traffic Safety Unit.
Koopman said that, with a unique and new structure like the Waaban Crossing, there are some other factors that Kingston residents as well as police and other emergency services will have to figure out over the course of time, such as responding to a collision on the bridge.
“We’ve already spoken to some of the tow companies in town, and our patrol officers and traffic safety unit will know that we are going to have some extra complexities,” he added.
Another issue, one that police will be monitoring, is people trying to use the neighbourhood beside the bridge’s east end to circumvent traffic.
The four-way intersection to the east includes an entrance to a residential neighbourhood that eventually comes out further south on Highway 15, something the city doesn’t want people to exploit to save time. Efforts have been made to manage the behavior.
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“If you’re coming out of Point St. Mark Drive, you cannot turn left, you cannot go straight, you can only make a right-hand turn heading back to Highway 15,” said Koopman.
The Waaban Crossing is something new for everyone in Kingston – law enforcement and civilians alike – that, like anything else, will need adjusting to.
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