A busy intersection on the south side of Chilliwack is about to get some traffic control in the form of a new traffic light — or possibly a single-lane roundabout.
At least two crashes occurred there in recent weeks, but the intersection had already been approved for an upgrade in this year’s budget.
“Staff in the engineering department are currently working on the preliminary design to improve the intersection of Keith Wilson and Tyson,” said Mayor Sharon Gaetz in a post on the Facebook last week.
The two options being studied are “conventional signalization” meaning a stop light, or a single-lane roundabout. Financial cost comparisons are on the way.
“We expect the necessary land purchase and then construction will follow,” Gaetz said.
If necessary the city will install a temporary four-way stop, a technique often used when a new stop light is being planned.
It’s always been a busy corner, but with the opening of the new UFV campus at Canada Education Park, and the increased volume from the Evans Road overpass, it has seen even more traffic recently.
A light is the least expensive option for the city, and easiest to deliver in terms of land purchase and construction requirements. It would involve construction of the curbs, gutters and more, costing about $300,000, as opposed to the more involved process of constructing a single-lane roundabout, estimated to cost a little more than $1 million, according to city staff.
City staff looked at the whole corridor leading to the Evans Road overpass a few years ago, and determined which intersections were going to require upgrades in the future. They’re planning some form of traffic control at Keith Wilson and Tyson, but also at Evans and Stevenson and at Tyson and Watson.
A traffic light went in recently at South Sumas and Tyson Road, and Ashwell at Bernard.
Information has been requested from RCMP collision analysts about the recent crash incidents at Keith Wilson and Tyson, to see if those details can shed light on which traffic control design would be best at that intersection.
jfeinberg@theprogress.com
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