Roundabout an option to make dangerous intersection safer, MLA says

The MLA representing Central Bedeque, P.E.I., is calling for changes to an intersection where a collision between a transport truck and an SUV sent a man to hospital with serious injuries on Monday.

Six years ago, two people died in a crash in the same area — where Route 1A meets Route 10 — about 12 kilometres north of Borden-Carleton.

Jamie Fox, the MLA for District 19: Borden-Kinkora since 2015, says traffic patterns have changed and the infrastructure hasn't kept up.

"We've got to look at where our population is going, where tourism is going and also our imports and exports, and those are all increasing," Fox said. 

"So do we need to actually look at this type of intersection where we've had serious and major accidents, even some fatalities, and say, Is this infrastructure actually prepared for what we're seeing with vehicle traffic across the province?"

Fox said transport trucks are using the back roads because their GPS tells them it's a shortcut, but the roads — which have no shoulders or sidewalks — weren't designed for that purpose.

The MLA said he's going to meet with Transportation Minister Ernie Hudson to discuss how to slow down traffic at the intersection.

"I think this might be an area for a roundabout," Fox said. "This is a residential Bedeque area, so there's a lot of people in farm machinery moving here. How do we make it more safer for the travelling public as it increases?"