Route 60 Intersection at Lodge Road and Dunns Hill ‘an imminent danger’

What once was a way to navigate the ‘worst intersection’ in CBS at high traffic rush hours is now the most treacherous intersection. Seriously, it’s like trying to maneuver a mine field, especially when eastbound and westbound inside lanes are backed up more than two other vehicles, and speeding drivers zigzag in and out of the divided lanes.
In addition, Lodge Road is used as a parking lot for the many people who leave their vehicles unattended obstructing traffic while at the corner store. This already complex intersection is further perplexing by the newly installed bright flashing lighted sign at the All Saint Church. At the worst, the traffic is gridlocked and on three different occasions recently my experience when making a left turn unto Lodge Road was dangerous and threatening.
The high volume of eastward and westward bound traffic around the five o’clock suppertime was backed up in multiple directions. I was eastbound stopped with my left-hand turn signal on waiting to cross the two lanes unto Lodge Road when a westbound vehicle turning left onto Dunns Hill Road came to a stop and motioned for me to cross both lanes. I could not safely cross at the time because the lined-up vehicles on the inside lane obstructed my view of oncoming traffic in the outer lane. It was too risky. Some drivers were lined-up behind me, as well as the drivers lined-up behind vehicles turning onto Dunns Hill Road, and the vehicles whizzing past in the outside lanes was frightening. Some drivers reacted by blowing their horn and pulled out aggressively, frustrated and angry.
Any reasonable person, traffic consultant or otherwise, would realize how dangerous and unsafe this intersection can be, and remember safety ought to trump inconvenience every time. This scenario can be verified any weekday between the hours of 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Mind you, I realize either vehicle may simply go further on down the road and turn around and come back and access safely.
In any event, leaders and decision makers must put the community’s interest at heart. This is more than poor driver behaviour, and poor sight-lines; the physical layout itself is one serious challenge. Our community is growing fast and people seem to be less tolerant of inadequacies. Let’s work together and make this an opportunity for community enhancement and improvement for many years to come. The initial configuration setup with the traffic calming was safer.
Graham Greeley
Foxtrap, CBS