WILLIAMSTOWN, Ontario – The Township of South Glengarry is considering installing it’s first roundabout.
The intersection currently under consideration is the Kraft Rd. and Glen Rd. intersection, which currently has a split lane with a yield sign right before a bridge.
Ewen MacDonald, General Manager of Infrastructure for the Township of South Glengarry said that there have been concerns around this intersection.
“With the yield at the intersection, people have been getting confused and we’re looking at ways to improve the configuration,” he said.
MacDonald said that he will be meeting with consultants to determine the best way forward and will present a report to council. He explained that the current configuration of the intersection was made when the old Williamstown Kraft plant was built and was designed to accommodate the milk trucks that went in and out of the site.
South Glengarry Council had previously set aside $50,000 for paving part of Kraft Rd. in 2019 and any research into this roundabout proposal will be drawn from that money.
Deputy Mayor Lyle Warden said that a roundabout in that intersection would make sense.
“I think it’s a great idea,” he said. “Currently, the configuration of that intersection is dangerous.”
Warden added the caveat that before any change was made, that the cost should not be too exorbitant.
Currently, there are no roundabouts in the Township of South Glengarry.
“It is our first adventure into the world of roundabouts and we’ll see how it goes,” said MacDonald.
Warden feels that with a little public education, the transition to a roundabout would be smooth.
“I think a little public education will go a long way,” he said. “As soon as you know how to use a roundabout it is as easy as pie.”
