Dunstaffnage’s dangerous turn
Bedford man says blind corner poses serious risk for residents and Confederation Trail users
BEDFORD — A P.E.I. man wants something done about an accident-prone stretch of road near his home in Bedford-Dunstaffnage.
Jim Walmsley, a resident of the area for more than 40 years, owns a lot on the corner of Route 6 where the Confederation Trail intersects the road.
He says he has seen several accidents on the turn over the years, and many more near misses.
“Nobody’s been hit yet," he said, "but it’s bound to happen because there’s been so many close calls.”
One of the worst accidents Walmsley recalls happened in July 2018, when a neighbour hosted a community barbecue. A car blasted around the turn, barely missing the string of cars parked on the side of the road for the barbecue.
As it lost control, the car careened off a tree on Walmsley’s lot, he said.
“It’s only been getting really bad lately ... it’s getting worse because the cars are going faster.”
For Walmsley, visibility is the main issue. A trellis and tree on a neighbour's property make it difficult to see oncoming vehicles for residents and trail users when they cross from the eastern side of the trail.
A former neighbour who now lives in Rustico told Walmsley the sightlines was the main reason he moved.
“He actually moved because it was too dangerous to get in and out (of his driveway).”
Aside from cars losing control, Walmsley has witnessed more than close call between a vehicle and pedestrian, including one involving a mother and her child.
Walmsley has made calls to Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal, but nothing has been done to address to corner, he said.
“They looked at it and said, ‘oh, I think it’s all right,’ and all that.”
A representative from Transportation and Infrastructure confirmed there were three traffic incidents over the past 10 years, resulting in no injuries.
Still, she said traffic engineers will visit the area to look at the safety concerns.