Victoria County council wants highway speed reduced
BADDECK – Bruce Morrison wasn't surprised when he learned of a serious accident on Highway 105 near the Irving gas station just outside Baddeck on Dec. 9.
The Victoria County warden and councillor had at least two close calls himself while driving in the area and witnesses various near misses that could have had the same outcome.
Unfortunately, last month's accident came with the loss of two lives. A 50-year-old male driver and a 57-year-old woman, both from Inverness County, were killed after their vehicle collided with an 18-wheeler.
Both were pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the transport truck, a 41-year-old Newfoundland man, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
“We knew at some point
something serious was going to happen there and unfortunately it did,” said Morrison. “The commercial property is a popular spot for truck traffic and recreational traffic – it's a busy spot and things get congested there.”
Since the accident, the Municipality of Victoria County sent a letter to the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal on Dec. 21 requesting the speed limit be reduced in the area.
Currently, the speed limit in the area is 80 km/h, however, Morrison and council believe the limit should be reduced to 60 km/h in an attempt to prevent another fatal accident from happening.
“This has been a consistent conversation in the community because of the repeated and continuous reports of misses, near misses and minor accidents that have happened there,” said Morrison.
“I don't think we're looking for the addition of lights (at Exit 8) but we're adamant that the speed limit should be reduced for at least a kilometre stretch so that traffic will slow down to the appropriate speed.”
Since 2003, Victoria County has an active file of correspondence with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal regarding concerns about the area including the speed limit, said Morrison.
“One of the biggest issues around it, not only just the speed, it's trying to get in and out of the Irving site,” he said, noting it's the only gas station near Baddeck.
“It's very congested with vehicles waiting to get in and there's times when you get a lineup on one of the lanes to go in and others are trying to go out – it's very dangerous.”
On average, 4,000 motorists travel along the section of highway each day, which includes traffic from Marine Atlantic. The numbers usually increase during the tourism season.
In 2018, Department of Transportation widened the section of highway and installed turning lanes into the Irving property. The speed limit was also reduced from 90 km/h to 80 km/h.
Prior to the work beginning, a public meeting was held to discuss options for the area, with residents raising concerns about the speed limit and congestion on the Irving site.
District 2 Coun. Perla MacLeod said she hears complaints about the area on a regular basis.
“People have been complaining about the section of highway since 2003,” said MacLeod. “People are upset about it, we're worried about it, and we want to prevent something like a fatal accident from happening and we've tried.”
Speed limits have been reduced to 70 km/h or lower in other sections of the highway. The speed limit is currently 60 km/h in Wagmatcook and further up the highway in Whycocomagh.
Meanwhile, in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, the speed limit is 70 km/h entering Bras d'Or where Esso and Petro Canada gasoline stations are located.
“They put those speed limits in at least three other locations on the Trans-Canada Highway between Baddeck and Aulds Cove,” said Morrison. “The department has indicated that traffic control did a study and don't think a speed reduction is warranted, but we can't understand why.”
The Cape Breton Post contacted the Department of Transportation regarding the recent letter sent by Victoria County council.
In an email response, spokesperson Steve Warburton said the department received a letter two years ago from the municipality, noting the department has responded to it. However, Warburton didn't indicate the department received a letter recently.
“We've done everything in our power trying to get the speed limit reduced and if we're going to send a message to the minister, it's that simple,” said Morrison. “It's a $200 fix. You take the 80 km zone signs down and put 60 km zone signs there.”