Traffic speed remains at status quo for now near Trenton Connector Intersection

However, as of Wednesday, the 80 km signs were still standing. 
The Municipality of Pictou County put a call into the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal which has clarified the situation and found out that the speed limit currently remains at 80km but could change in the future.

“We will be undertaking a review of speeds on the approaches to the Trenton Connector intersection in the near future; however, this review is not yet complete and signs indicating a speed limit of 60km/h were not authorized or installed by the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. These signs have now been removed,” said Marla MacInnis, TIR Media Relations Advisor.

This section of road in the County has been a topic of interest among many residents who have safety concerns about the area because of the number of traffic collisions that have taken place there in the past.

The Abercrombie Fire Department says its records indicate there have been 59 collisions at the intersection in the past 25 years and five of these have been fatalities.

About 6,800 vehicles travel through the intersection daily about nine per cent of these vehicles are trucks.

A public meeting was held in January in Pictou County where residents voiced their concerns to officials of the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure. 
Some ideas brought forward at the meeting included reducing the speed, more policing in the area and building a roundabout at the intersection.

A petition signed by 800 people was also presented in the Nova Scotia Legislature. The petition notes that accidents on the Trenton Connector have resulted in injury and death over the years and asks the government to improve the state of the connector by creating a roundabout.

District 8 Coun. Larry Turner told fellow councillors during a recent property services meeting that some improvements have made at the busy intersection to help ease traffic safety concerns in the area.

He said cabinets on the light standards have been replaced and the sequencing of the lights have been changed.

“According to residents, they seem to be working better,” he said.
He said Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal told him recently that cameras will also be installed at the intersection this spring to conduct a traffic count.