Antigonish County wants immediate upgrades made to dangerous intersection

The Municipality of the County of Antigonish is sending suggestions to Nova Scotia's Transportation Department on how to make an intersection safer that's been the site of several recent serious crashes.

A man from Toronto was killed one week ago in a three-vehicle crash involving a logging truck at Beech Hill Road and Highway 4. And three people were injured after another crash at the same intersection on Sunday.

"We've been hoping a solution would have been coming a bit sooner, but given the nature of the last week and the accidents there, we felt it was imperative that we send a strong message," said Warden Owen McCarron, adding the intersection has been a concern for at least two years.

The speed limit on the highway is 80 km/h and there are no traffic lights.

Some of the immediate measures the county wants the province to take are to make the intersection a four-way stop using portable signals, and use warning signs and install rumble strips in all directions approaching the intersection to reduce speed.

McCarron said he's hoping the province will take some kind of action before the end of the year. The county is calling on the province to accelerate plans to finish the permanent redesign of the intersection in the spring of 2020.

He said a man who was involved in the fatal crash that involved a logging truck spoke at the meeting.

"He was the third vehicle and so he spoke of just what he experienced watching that pulp truck come toward him and he he couldn't get out of the way," McCarron said, adding it was "quite emotional hearing his description."

At the meeting, McCarron said first responders spoke about trauma they experienced attending crashes at that intersection and locals also spoke about experiencing near misses.

He said there was a Transportation Department representative at the meeting.