Highway 118 at 11
Mary Beth Hartill
The traffic signals at Highway 118 at 11 are only temporary. An MTO investigation into whether the intersection where a young mother died last year will get lighting has concluded.
According to Carole Paiement, communications services co-ordinator with the North East Region provincial highways management division of the Ministry of Transportation, Ministry staff completed a review of the intersection of Highway 11 and Highway 118 and found it does not meet the criteria for permanent traffic signals.
“The ministry is in the process of seeking a reduction of the speed limit through this area,” Paiement stated in an email.
The ministry is looking into possibly dropping the speed limit from 80-kilometres per hour down to 60 along that stretch of Highway 118.
The Town of Bracebridge made the appeal to the ministry early in 2016 that something be done about the intersection where Michelle Dorion-Parliament was killed in May of 2015 on her way to work.
Council asking that a letter be written to the Minister of Transportation asking that the ministry consider opportunities to improve vehicular visibility and signage at the intersection as well as the need to install traffic control measures such as flashing lights to improve overall safety.
Currently, motorists along this stretch of Highway 118 and those travelling in the area of Taylor Road at Highway 11 are seeing some slowdowns as temporary traffic signals are in place to “provide safe movement of traffic as well as a safe work zone during construction.”
Work is being done to extend the structural service life of these bridges and improve the bridge deck, which includes waterproofing and asphalt; structural wall rehabilitation; removal and replacement of some sections of curb and gutter; guide rail extensions; and erosion control.
The estimated cost for construction for the Vankoughnet Road underpass bridge is $1.99 million and the estimated cost for construction for the Taylor Road bridge is $2.69 million.
“Work on both bridges commenced in 2016 and will be completed by summer 2017,” she said. “However, both lanes on the bridges will be re-instated to pre-construction conditions in Nov. 2016 for winter shutdown.”
Source: Muskoka Region