This community will no longer be a one-traffic-light town.
A full traffic signal is scheduled to be installed by September 2018 at the Highway 7 intersection with MacLennan/Dunbar Streets in Rockwood.
“(I’m) very happy to report that the Ministry of Transportation has been working with Guelph-Eramosa and … will be funding a traffic signal for the intersection,” said Guelph MPP Liz Sandals at the official announcement on June 23 at nearby Harris Mill Public School.
“This is absolutely amazing News.”
Sandals said she preferred not to share an estimated cost for the lights.
“We actually don’t announce price tags for things that are going to be tendered,” she explained.
The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) will be funding 75 per cent of the project while Guelph-Eramosa Township will provide the remaining 25%.
Guelph-Eramosa Mayor Chris White and Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott also attended the announcement.
There is currently a crossing guard posted at the intersection, which is used by many Harris Mill students.
In October Guelph-Eramosa council passed a resolution asking the province to install traffic signals.
In February Arnott took a petition signed by more than 400 residents to Queen’s Park also asking for the MTO to fund and install traffic signals.
“A lot of people started talking in the community and realized we want to organize and we want to try to push for this because it seemed like a long time was passing and there were no real answers from anywhere,” said Jennifer MacLeod, a traffic light advocate and key player in the petition.
“It was actually when we contacted our MPP’s office; with their help and guidance, MPP Arnott put together the petition which I think added a little bit more credibility to it and then we were able to circulate it.
“Everybody wanted to sign it. I think people were waiting for ‘what can we do to actually move this along’ and something concrete.”
MacLeod said while it’s “fantastic News” the traffic light will be installed, she’s nervous about the year leading up to its installation.
“It’s an extremely dangerous intersection and almost on a weekly basis there are close calls,” she said.
MTO project engineer Sarah Jewell said the plan is to install a full traffic signal at the intersection.
“We are going to have our best efforts to get it installed for the 2018 school year,” she said.
White said at this point council believes a crossing guard will still be necessary at the intersection.
“It gives you that extra layer of protection,” he said. “It’s still busy. A light is fantastic, but it doesn’t solve everything so we intend to leave a crossing guard there.”
In addition to the traffic light, the intersection will also receive a longer left hand turn lane when travelling north-west on Highway 7 towards Rockwood, as well as better lighting.
“They’ll just generally upgrade the roadwork there in terms of how the intersection is designed,” Sandals said.
