Old habits are sometimes hard to break!
But Columbia Shuswap Regional District deputy chair Kevin Flynn is afraid that one traffic habit could end in tragedy.
Congestion at the intersection of Hwy 97 and Hwy 97B has increased as Trans-Canada Highway traffic is diverted through Mara Lake and Enderby to Salmon Arm during construction of the new Highway 1 bridge in Sicamous.
Flynn’s main concern is the reconfiguration of traffic lanes on Enderby Hill.
Formerly two lanes, some 300 metres of the northbound portion of the road has been reduced to one lane in order to provide two southbound lanes to accommodate traffic heading east via Mara Lake.
Flynn said that due to a lack of effective signage, many people are unaware of the changes and continue to use the left northbound lane out of habit.
“There is a sign indicating a passing lane farther up, but I have seen people going side-by-side up the hill,” he said, noting the roadway is not well lined and the lines disappear if there is snow or sand on the road. “I’ve turned the corner where you can’t even see the lines; it’s a scary spot in my mind.”
Flynn said he and others he's spoken with have seen near misses, and he is afraid that without improvement to signage, there is a good chance there will be head-on collisions at some point.
“We’re going to live with this for up to three years and we’re changing old habits,” he said, noting he presented his concerns to Salmon Arm council. “I think this is of extreme importance for our residents; it’s an accident waiting to happen.”
Also of concern is the new traffic light at the intersection of Hwy 97 and 97B that Flynn said does not provide adequate time for vehicles turning left onto Enderby Hill.
“It’s so short, there will be an incident,” he said noting he is not a traffic engineer and is voicing his own opinion. “They had to do something to make it safer, I get it, but I think it’s neither safer nor practical .”
Discussion on the safety issues at the Dec. 13 board meeting rose from a Nov. 29 letter from Allysa Hopkins, Electoral Area ‘F’ director of the Regional District of North Okanagan, to the Ministry of Transportation.
In her letter, Hopkins cited concerns and offered recommendations: “Lengthening the merge lane for traffic turning southbound on Hwy 97 – there appears to be sufficient space to accommodate a longer acceleration lane; Lengthening the turning lane for traffic turning northbound on Hwy 97B – again there appears to be adequate room for a longer turning lane to accommodate more vehicles and; improving the signage and markings / delineations for the new left hand turn lane on Hwy 97B onto Hwy 97.”
CSRD Area E director Rhona Martin expressed her concerns about traffic on the hill on the Trans-Canada
Just east of Sicamous that is open at certain times during bridge construction.
“The bridge is well signed, yet coming up the hill, which is marked 50 km, three people pulled out and passed me,” she said. “You can’t legislate stupidity.”
Directors agreed the regional district should communicate the need to remind members of the public that parts of the CSRD are under construction and that people need to slow down and pay attention to the ministry’s signs as they are changed frequently.
