ENTRANCE TO CIH ARENA DEEMED DANGEROUS

Clarence-Rockland council may be replacing the County Road 17 entrance to the CIH Arena in Rockland with an alternative entrance.

“It’s dangerous,” said Mayor Guy Desjardins about the current entrance. “There have been accidents and it has even been proposed by the OPP that it is a dangerous entrance.”

The main entrance to the arena would become the Caron Street entrance. Eventually, the arena would also be accessible by a second entrance at the intersection of County Road 17 and De La Berge Street.

“People can now enter from the back. It’s safer,” said Desjardins.

The closure of the County Road 17 entrance would result in the need to install traffic lights at the intersection of De La Berge Street. The estimated cost for this work is $150,000. Another $45,000 will also be necessary to close off permanently the existing County Road 17 entrance by removing the asphalt. Council has decided

to table this issue until 2019.

Meanwhile, most councillors agree that the entrance should be closed temporarily

with signage and cement barricades. This would also allow the City to test the accessibility and reception of the new entrance before permanently closing the County Road 17 entrance.

According to City staff, there have been multiple car accidents at the intersection of County Road 17 and the entrance to the arena since its construction in 2010-11. At the time, after a traffic study was done, City staff recommended to council that Industrielle Street be the main entrance to the arena and that there should be no access constructed off County Road 17 for safety risks.

It was also recommended that, if a County Road 17 entrance were constructed, it should only be done if an eastbound left turning lane and a westbound right turning lane are constructed as well. Council, however, approved the construction of an entrance to the arena from County Road 17, without the addition of the left and right turning lanes.

“This was to save money,” said Desjardins. “We were looking then at close to $400,000 to $500,000 to add those turning lanes.”

—photo fournie L’entrée de la route de comté 17 à l’aréna CIH à Rockland a été jugée dangereuse. « C’est dangereux, a déclaré le maire Guy Desjardins. Il y a eu des accidents. Même la PPO a jugé qu’il s’agit d’une entrée dangereuse ». La Ville songe à fermer cette entrée de manière permanente.