Parents calling for safer road access to child care centre

Some parents are circulating a petition to convince the P.E.I. Department of Transportation to create a safer access point to the Merry Pop-Ins Child Care Centre in Tryon. 

Parents are worried the Trans Canada highway realignment in the area will make it dangerous to get in and out of the centre from the highway, because some drivers may be tempted to go faster.

Emily Smith, a spokeswoman for the parents' group collecting names for the petition, said they want a cul-de-sac which is being put in for residents to be extended to the daycare. 

"We'd just like to see them extend that cul-de-sac to the entrance to Merry Pop-Ins Child care centre so that all parents, staff, children, service people, can access safely the childcare centre," said Smith. "We have been told that it's simply not possible under their current plans. So we are asking them to take another look."

According to Stephen Yeo, the chief engineer for the province, the cul-de-sac is being created by closing off an existing side road.  

"There's two properties in between where we are building the cul-de-sac and the Merry Pop-Ins centre," said Yeo. "So we can't use public money to acquire the land to build a driveway for a commercial business."  

Yeo said he doesn't know why anyone would think there would be safety concerns with the improvements being made to the highway. He notes the edge of the pavement will actually be further away from the early years centre by about two feet.

Yeo said the new stretch of highway could be open as early as next week.