North Bay works to make dangerous intersection safer

Richie Gushulak says it's not uncommon to see a vehicle collision happening at the intersection where he lives.

Gushulak lives beside the intersection of Algonquin Avenue and Front Street and Jane Street. He calls it a traffic hazard where crashes frequently occur.

“It’s just too gnarly," he said.

"I’ve seen a vehicle up a post … I’ve seen vehicles upside down. We’ve seen lots of accidents here.”

According to North Bay police statistics, five collisions occurred there last year and eight so far this year.

"We believe due to the layout of the intersection,” said Sgt. Matthew Parker.

“It’s at the bottom of a steep hill despite it being a school zone and 50 km/h zone."

With a high school at the intersection and a steep decline coming south down Algonquin, it can be a difficult intersection to navigate.

“There are some junctions in that area as well that offer limited visibility,” said Parker.

City council recently voted to support a $1.7 million intersection redesign to widen it starting this week, in the hopes it will make it safer for drivers and pedestrians.

"There were general comments even four years ago when we first looked at (it)," said Coun. Chris Mayne.

Construction crews will create opposing left-hand turning lanes at the intersection, reconfigure the traffic lights and signals and move the nearby Algonquin Regiment memorial monument.

"What they're trying to do is realign all of the lanes of traffic so they're opposing left-hand turns so people aren't turning left blind and that's where people tend to get clipped," said Mayne.

Work on the intersection re-design should be completed by the end of October or early November.

Gushulak said it would hopefully make the intersection safer.

“I think you’ll see the number of collisions and accidents reduced significantly,” he said.