UPDATE (June 12): Phil Landry, Manager of Traffic Services for the City of Ottawa, wrote in an email to StittsvilleCentral.ca that the traffic signal is expected to be installed by the middle of July. In an update provided this week to the Stittsville Village Association, councillor Qadri indicated that design work for the intersection has been completed, and that traffic operations staff are in the process of tendering a standing offer contract for the work.
There’s also an update on the Fairwinds Community Association web page about future plans to extend Maple Grove all the way to Stittsville Main Street in Jackson Trails.
There will be far less cursing and road rage at the intersection of Huntmar and Maple Grove this summer. City crews are expected to replace the four-way stop with traffic lights by the end of June.
Rush hour motorists heading south on Huntmar usually face a long line of cars at the intersection, sometimes backing up as far as the police station near Palladium.
The traffic volume, coupled with the inability of many drivers to properly navigate a four-way stop, makes for a very frustrating – not to mention dangerous – situation for drivers and pedestrians.
Here’s a note posted to the Fairwinds Community Association web site this week:
At our monthly Fairwinds Community Association, Shad Qadri told us that traffic lights are coming to Huntmar & Maple Grove by the end of June. They were approved in this year’s city budget.
Also, in a response to a post about the intersection on Facebook, he wrote:
“Funding was approved in the City’s budget for this year and City staff have advised it is anticipated the signal for this intersection will be operating this summer. A roundabout was considered for this location but staff identified that roundabout [sic] at this location was not be feasible due to lack of available property on the diagonal between the southeast and northwest corners which would make the provision of a roundabout at this intersection very difficult. If you witness drivers not obey the traffic rules please report this to the Police at 613-236-1222x 7300.”
(Note: StittsvilleCentral.ca’s editor Glen Gower is the president of the Fairwinds Community Association, and is one of those drivers who is frequently frustrated by the intersection.)