The Patricia Bay Highways Sayward Road intersection the scene of 169 northbound rear-end collisions in five years is getting $3 million in safety upgrades, the province announced Wednesday. Transportation Minister Blair Lekstrom unveiled plans to create acceleration and deceleration lanes for northbound traffic, improve nearby bus stops and install an overhead traffic sign to warn drivers when the intersection is congested. The work is expected to take about eight months.According to Insurance Corp. of B.C. and police statistics, there were 169 rear-end collisions involving northbound traffic at the intersection between 2006 and 2010. Theyve got to do something its a very bad corner, said Pearl Calve, who has lived near the intersection for 53 years. Im glad to see theyre moving ahead. Work to install the congestion-warning sign began Wednesday night and should be completed within 10 days. The rest of the upgrades will be phased in and completed by spring. Plans call for relocation of a northbound bus stop to the south side of the intersection, where it will include a bus pull-out lane. The intersection will also get a queue-jump lane to keep buses moving quickly through the traffic light. The provincial government will have to buy property along the highway to build the new lanes.Changes at the intersection are expected to make it safer for drivers coming on and off the highway, according to the Sayward Intersection Working Group. Most of the accidents were rear-enders in the northbound lane, said Saanich Coun. Judy Brownoff, a member of the group. We think these changes will go a long way to make the intersection safer by reducing the number of accidents.There are also plans to improve a nearby southbound bus stop, but the Transportation Ministry is still negotiating details with B.C. Transit. Our first priority was to get the northbound stuff done. We just need to initiate and continue discussion with B.C. Transit to make sure that work gets done, Lekstrom said. Saanich South MLA Lana Popham said she supports the ministrys plan to monitor traffic and accident data once improvements are completed. The next part of this, after these [changes] are put in place, is to monitor to see if safety has improved, Popham said. If it hasnt, well have to start looking at something else, but Im really hoping that this will do it.Lekstrom said motorists need to do their part to avoid collisions. I do think drivers have to take a great deal of responsibility when theyre behind the wheel, he said. dspalding@timescolonist.com
