Burnside road's design is 'problematic' and needs fixing, says councillor
There have been 14 crashes in past 1½ years on a stretch of Akerley Boulevard leading into business park
A Dartmouth, N.S., councillor wants to see a section of Akerley Boulevard coming into the Burnside Industrial Park redesigned after a 28-year-old man died in a crash east of Gloria McCluskey Avenue last week.
In the last year and half, there have been 14 crashes on the four-kilometre stretch of road from Highway 118 southbound to the intersection of Akerley Boulevard and Gloria McCluskey Avenue, according to Halifax Regional Police.
People were injured in five of those crashes, but it's not clear how many.
"Really, that section of the highway has to be re-engineered, I think it's problematic the way it's designed now," said Mancini.
Currently, people drive into the Burnside Industrial Park at highway speeds as they come off Highway 118 and get on Highway 107. Drivers then have to rapidly slow down as they drive through an aggressive turn, which is a dangerous combination, said Mancini.
The provincial Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal is responsible for the portion of the road where the fatal crash occurred.
Transportation Department response
In an emailed statement, spokesperson Marla MacInnis said the department will study the police collision report from last week's deadly crash and "determine if road infrastructure or posted speed limits played a role in the collision."
MacInnis said the department has not yet received that police report.
Halifax Regional Police often set up patrols in the area to curb speeding, but Mancini said after the police leave, the speeding resumes.
'The speed is really problematic'
"The biggest complaint we get as elected officials is speed. Throughout our municipality, the speed is really problematic when you have it coming from the highway into the municipality or vice versa," said Mancini.
The section of Akerley Boulevard Mancini would like to see changed will be upgraded as part of the Burnside Connector project, but Mancini would like to see improvements made sooner.
The Burnside Connector is a new high-speed bypass that will be constructed in the area that will connect highways 101, 102 and 118 to Highway 107. Mancini said the new road will eliminate the dangerous turn and should hopefully cut down on crashes.
Construction of the Burnside Connector is expected to begin this summer with an expected completion date in 2023.