Cornwall highway bypass could happen this year

The government of P.E.I. has asked Ottawa for funding to redirect the Trans-Canada Highway around the town of Cornwall, just west of Charlottetown.

"This is a strategic infrastructure investment that would bring the highway up to today's safety standards, improve the transport of goods and benefit all Islanders," said Premier Wade MacLauchlan in a news release.

The province hopes to break ground on the highway this year. Ithas made one application to the federal New Building Canada fund for 50 per cent of the cost ofone phase of the project, and plans to make a second within a few weeks.

2 phases for project

The first phase of the project would be for two new roundabouts: one at the Maypoint intersection and at Poplar Island, where there are a number of retail operations.

The second phase would be a six-kilometre route running from New Haven to the York Point Road.

The total cost for both phases is estimated at $65 million.

Improved safety

The province aims to improve safety for the tens of thousands of vehicles travelling daily on the Trans-Canada west of Charlottetown.

The highway between Maypoint Road and York Point Road is travelled by up to 26,400 vehicles per day, while up to 17,200 vehicles travel the stretch between York Point Road and Meadowbank Road.

From 2009 to 2013, there were 159 collisions on the highway between Clyde River and Maypoint Road, none of them fatal.

The project would remove two sets of traffic lights, and bypass four others. The province notes travellers would see no traffic lights from Borden to Charlottetown's North River Road.

New development opportunities

Cornwall Mayor Minerva McCourt said the town has been waiting a long time for the bypass.

"Extremely limited access options on the existing Trans-Canada Highway have restricted development in the town for many years" said McCourt.

McCourt said a 2003 plebiscite found 80 per cent of the town's residents supported the project.

• MORE P.E.I. NEWS |More than 200 Islanders are licensed to own prohibited firearms
• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | Homeowner asks province to end decade-long septic nightmare