Harvest Highway on a collision course?

The Highway 101 twinning project designed to reduce the number of motor vehicle-related fatalities may now do just the opposite, according to some. A newly-twinned section of Highway 101 between Falmouth and Avonport has already met with some criticism.

At their Dec. 9 session, members of West Hants municipal council declared the recently christened “Harvest Highway” an “accident waiting to happen” -- one day after its official opening.

Councillors said the opening was a rush job that could only end in an even greater death toll.

They raised concerns that a portion of the twinned highway that merges near Falmouth could result in a bottle-neck effect and pose a serious risk to motorists. Warden Richard Dauphinee went on record saying that stretch of highway is now a potential “death trap.”

Dauphinee said, “we need to show our concerns right away; now, before anyone is hurt.”

Coun. Gary Cochrane had driven the newly twinned section and said it was an absolute nightmare. “There were cars that had literally stopped and pulled over, they were that confused.” It’s an accident waiting to happen, he said.

Result of lobbying

The twinning has been the result of a decade of lobbying at the grass roots level, said Natural Resource Minister David Morse at the opening ceremony, Sunday Dec.7, adding that there would be no more needless catastrophes at the dangerous Ben Jackson Road intersection.

However, according to council, the opening of this stretch could put drivers entering the Windsor-Falmouth area at an even greater risk. “They haven’t even painted on the new lines,” said Coun. Shirley Pineo. “Drivers don’t realize that they are going off a divided highway.”

Pineo noted it would have been better to delay the opening until the rest of the twinning could be completed. “If we don't twin the rest of this highway now we are going to lose some people.”

The councillor suggested that the Department of Transportation at least install a temporary median to help guide motorists.

Treacherous merge

Coun. Rick Gaudet lives in the Mount Denson area and has travelled that stretch of highway between Windsor and Hantsport for years. He said the approach to this latest twinning project has not improved conditions, however, and, in fact, has made driving at night even more treacherous. “I can say it scared me; I got off of it as quick as I could.”

Gaudet pointed out that it is the location of the merge that has made this twinned addition so treacherous. “Basically, drivers come around the big bend and all of a sudden there is no more divided highway.” A warning that the divided highway ends would be in order, he said.

Even warning lights would be helpful, said councillors, who hope to see fewer deaths as a result of highway 101 accidents this year, not more.

Council passed a motion that evening to draft a letter outlining their concerns to Transportation Minister Murray Scott, Hants West MLA Chuck Porter and Premier Rodney MacDonald, and requesting a reconsideration of safety issues.

Coun. Randy Matheson called for the motion saying, “it’s easy to make mistakes, but they do need to revisit this.” He added, “if a letter could save an injury, let alone a life, it is worth it.”

In an earlier statement made to NovaNewsNow.com, Morse said that minor work, including centre-line painting and other finishing work would be completed in the coming weeks.