Deadly TCH intersection in Gander to get upgrades
Province says new turning lane will cost $150,000
A notorious intersection that people in Gander have called a "death trap" is about to undergo major upgrade, with a $150,000 project that is expected to make the exchange less confusing for motorists.
The intersection of Magee Road and the Trans-Canada Highway has been the site of serious accidents over the years.
The Department of Transportation and Works has awarded a tender to realign the turning lane and add signs to the intersection after a review done in 2015.
Council told intersection met standards
"The new intersection design will see signage improvements and will involve the realignment of turning lanes. The project also includes new oversized speed signs, with solar powered flashing beacons for road shoulders, and an overhead sign for westbound traffic," the department said in a written statement to CBC News.
The work starts in August.
Interview requests sent to the town of Gander were directed to the Newfoundland and Labrador government.
In the past, Mayor Claude Elliott has spoken out about the intersection.
"We've had concerns with that intersection but I mean the Department of Transportation Engineers that designed the highway say it meets the standard and it's fine," Elliott said in November, following an accident at the intersection.
"But there's been a number of serious accidents there in the past few years."
In 2008, a nine-year-old boy lost his life in a collision at the intersection.
A spokesperson for the Department of Transportation and Works said Minister Al Hawkins was unavailable for an interview.
Confused drivers
Currently, westbound vehicles that are turning off the highway and on to Magee must obey a yield sign before making their turn.
Turning westbound traffic must yield the right of way to eastbound traffic turning on to Magee.
That doesn't always happen, sometimes creating confusion for drivers.