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Public meeting organized to discuss traffic issues near Baddeck Irving station
The Municipality of Victoria County will hold a public meeting to discuss issues surrounding the section of Highway 105 near the Irving/Tim Hortons location in Baddeck.
The meeting will be held on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Baddeck courthouse and will be an opportunity for residents to voice their concerns and opinions about the area.
Jennifer Anderson, who lives across the road from the location, has been lobbying for a public meeting on the issue for several months.
“My goal for the meeting would not be to bring people there from Irving and the Department of Transportation to have them be attacked,” said Anderson.
“I’m hoping that the meeting will be a good conversation and that they come to speak about what they’re willing to do and that they also come ready to listen.”
Neither officials with Irving Oil nor the Department of Transportation have confirmed they will attend the meeting.
Last month, Anderson requested a public meeting with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal, after her family raised concerns about the proposed road work in the area, scheduled for this summer.
The Department of Transportation plans to widen the highway, while also installing a
left-turning lane at the location as part of five provincial road projects set for Victoria County this construction season.
Department officials have met with Anderson personally about the issues, however no public meeting was arranged.
Anderson believes with the proposed changes to the highway, the speed limit in the area should be reduced from 90 km/h to 70 km/h. However, she thinks the real issue is the traffic flow with onsite improvements needed on the Irving property including the location of the card-lock pumps for transport truck traffic.
“I think if the roadway is going to be changed, there needs to be changes on the Irving property itself,” said Anderson.
“I don’t know whether they’re consulting with an engineer about the options that they have, but certainly what you see in other locations would be concrete barricades indicating where drive thru traffic should go — in Aulds Cove, the card-lock area for trucks was relocated behind the Irving Big Stop so that trucks don’t mix with the regular gas pump traffic — Irving has the land and options (in Baddeck).”
Victoria County Warden Bruce Morrison and District 2 Coun. Perla MacLeod have both received many complaints from local residents about the area.
“We consider it a public safety issue,” said Morrison. “It (the location) has been a topic of conversation probably since 2004 — it’s not a new issue — we get a number of calls almost every week in regard to traffic issues and interactions there.”
On average, 4,000 motorists travel along that section of highway each day. Those numbers usually increase during the tourism season.
Morrison said the goal of the meeting is to receive feedback from the public as well as the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal and Irving Oil.
“We’re hoping to get everybody under the same roof and hopefully the meeting will lead to some improvements at the location,” he said.
Morrison and MacLeod have both spoken to Irving Oil representatives in recent weeks about the location. Morrison wouldn’t say much about what was discussed, noting they “had a good conversation,” with the company.
“I think everybody that enters, exits and travels by that location has noticed that there is potential for something to happen there,” said Morrison. “It’s been a concern to the residents and it’s been a concern to our council.
“The Department of Transportation is well aware of our concerns as well because we’ve had correspondence directed to them many times over the last 14 years.”
Victoria County has extended a verbal invitation to officials with both Irving Oil and the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal to attend the meeting. Their attendance was not confirmed.
Calls to Irving Oil regarding the meeting were not returned.
In an email statement to the Post, Marla MacInnis, spokesperson for the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal, said the department’s design, traffic and construction teams have been working on plans to improve the section of highway near the Irving location.
“We have also been working with Irving to ensure that any changes on their property are reflected in our designs,” said MacInnis.
As for Anderson, she encourages local residents to attend the meeting and to have a say about the ongoing issues.
“I would love to see as many people as possible come,” said Anderson. “It’s our chance to let them (Irving Oil) know that the public does have concerns — I’m one of the people living across the road — I kind of started this thing — but I think it’s important for Irving and the Department of Transportation to know that it’s not just me who is scared travelling through there.”
No timeline has been provided as to when road work could start near the Irving Oil location.