Safety improvements are coming to Ladysmith, which means there could be some delays with road and lane closures starting this week.
The Ministry of Transportation will be installing protected left turn signals at the intersection of the Trans-Canada Highway, Roberts Street and Transfer Beach Boulevard from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from Dec. 11 to 12.
According to the town, vehicles travelling northbound on the Trans-Canada Highway will need to use Buller Street or First Avenue to access the downtown area or Roberts Street, and southbound traffic will have to use Ludlow Road to access Transfer Beach Boulevard to access the beach during construction.
Ladysmith fire chief Chris Geiger says the intersection has been a problem for quite some time and something needs to be done about it.
“This intersection has been the site of several accidents in recent years,” he says. “The installation of a protected left-turn signal will significantly enhance safety for motorists, pedestrians and all users of the road.”
According to ICBC, since 2019 there have been a total of 50 crashes at the intersection in which more than half have resulted in injuries or fatalities.
The intersection has been under review by the province since 2022.
