Homer Watson & Block Line roundabout changes
Posted Mar 28, 2012 11:35:56 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Regional Council has approved a compromise that will reduce lanes at the Homer Watson & Block Line roundabout using paint instead of reconstruction.
This option will save thousands of dollars, at a cost between $10,000 and $20,000, a far cry from the $150,000 estimated to permanently reconfigure the traffic circle.
Transportation Commissioner Thomas Schmidt describes how the lane reduction will be accomplished, “it is a combination of paint and adding some delineators so that people aren’t able to drive on that painted area easier. I think one of the big changes was adding the right turn only lane, and that’s part of what staff looked at and made this option more viable.”
Schmidt says this being a temporary measure rather than permanent comes with a different set of potential impacts, but thinks overall this will work.
Councillor Geoff Lorentz helped come up with this compromise, and said using paint instead of concrete allows for flexibility, “if at somewhere down the road we want to go to three lanes it’s there already.”
Councillor Sean Strickland said it’s an effective compromise, “I think in terms of making the roundabout safer and we’re able to do it more cost effectively. I think that’s a win/win situation.”
Councillor Jim Wideman wanted to “keep the status quo,” but says this is an acceptable compromise, “we can really easily revert back to three lanes (by) spending hardly any money.”
When will the work begin? Schmidt says painting the lanes depends on the weather, and when it’s warm enough the region will go ahead as quickly as they can this spring.
