2023-08-30

New traffic signals operational in Wileville while Cookville still waits

WILEVILLE - While long-awaited and welcomed traffic signals were installed at one busy Lunenburg County intersection, another well-travelled area still waits.

Nova Scotia's Department of Public Works anticipates the new signals destined for the Highway 10 intersection with LaHave Street at the Cookville/Bridgewater boundary should be operational before Sept. 23.

"There has been a delay in obtaining light poles but the contractor expects to receive a supply of poles later this summer; the lights will be installed once they arrive," department spokesperson Gary Andrea said in an email.

Those signals are part of an overall $3 million project that included three kilometres of repaving of Highway 10, between the town boundary at the Irving service station and Pine Grove Road and improvements at two intersections.

In June, the Department of Public Works awarded Ontario-based Fortran Traffic Systems a $34,675 sole-sourced procurement toward upgrading traffic sensors at the two Exit 12 ramp intersections, plus at the MacCulloch Road/Highway 10 and Pine Grove Road intersections. The sensors in question allow traffic signals to detect the presence of a vehicle.

In July, the new traffic lights where Highway 325, Logan Road and the William Wile Road intersect went live. The area, just west of Bridgewater near Exit 13, was previoulsy a non-signalled intersection.

Bedford-based Dexter Construction secured both the Wileville and Cookville work, and won the Highway 325 area job with a $730,000 bid.

Roads in the vicinity of both intersections have speed limits in 50 km/h range.

Weeks after the Wileville signals went operational, emergency crews were summoned to a vehicle-versus-bicycle crash, which the area volunteer fire department's deputy chief said was due to the two-wheeled traveller's failure to stop at the red light.

In a social media post, the senior officer with Tri-district Fire Rescue, Byron Schrader, urged the travelling public to approach the intersection with caution because people may not be used to the new signals.

The crash, involving a 25-year-old man, took place Aug. 15 and emergency crews were summoned to the scene at 1:30 p.m.

The incident was "due to the bicycle not coming to a stop for a red light," Schrader posted online. "Luckily, no serious injuries occurred and we want to keep it that way."

"Pedestrians who cross over these roads, proceed when safe to do so. Just because oncoming traffic has a red light, doesn't mean they will stop."