New federal funding will go towards installing rumble strips on the Glanworth curve, a deadly section of Wellington Road in south London.
The city has received $10 million from the federal Gas Tax Fund, and among other road work, it will be used to improve safety along the Glanworth curve.
A statement released Friday by Infrastructure Canada reads “All road sections will be resurfaced, except Wellington Road at the Glanworth Curve, where a rumble strip will be installed to improve safety.”
There has been a string of serious accidents in the area, including a double fatal single-vehicle crash in February 2012 that claimed the life of man and a 15-month-old girl.
Shortly after that crash, a petition with hundreds of signatures was submitted along with a letter asking for a barrier along the side of the road, because so many vehicles were ending up on residents’ lawns.
A reduction in the speed limit from 80 kilometres per hour to 70 was implemented by the city in Oct. 2012 and lights and warning signs were added.
Now the city will expand and pave the shoulders with asphalt, install rumble strips and paint 60 chevrons on the road as a warning to slow down.
Resident Dave Rush says “This is maybe the ideal situation. As I said as long as people adhere to the signs, the reduced speed limit and rumble strips definitely will wake them up if they’re going off the road onto the shoulder.”
City engineers say a guardrail could be more dangerous, because of the possibility of a car striking it and then bouncing back into traffic.
In addition, Glanworth Drive would need to be closed to make room for a guardrail on Wellington Road South.
John Braam, managing director of engineering for the City of London, says “It became apparent that it was the driver awareness that we’ve got to try and sustain through the curves. If we can alert the travelling public before they hit that edge, then there’ll be a significant improvement to driver safety there.”
The road improvements will go ahead this spring, as soon as the weather allows.
