Lumby drivers will need to abide by a traffic pattern change at the intersection of Miller Street and the highway.
By the end of the day Wednesday, drivers will no longer be allowed to access Miller Street from the westbound access lane off of Highway 6. Eastbound access to Miller Street will still be available, but drivers will come to a stop sign before turning left or right.
Roger Huston, Lumby’s manager of operations, says council has wanted to improve the safety of the intersection for several years, and the pattern change has been approved by the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
“The intersection of Miller Street and Highway 6 has been a real bone of contention for mayor and council and the Ministry,” he said.
Huston said the intersection has seen more than its fair share of close calls over the years. An Emergency Health Services station sits on Miller Street, and ambulances have nearly been hit on multiple occasions by cars blowing through the nearby stop sign.
“We have an essential service with an ambulance there that’s almost been hit several times as they’ve been coming out on calls with the traffic coming off the highway.”
There are two houses on Miller Street that will be affected by the change. Huston said he’s already spoken to both residents and has their support.
“It actually makes it safer for them on the one driveway, because they have issues coming on the the highway or Miller Street because they’re right at that intersection.”
The village is currently getting contractors to place signs and no-post barriers at the westbound entrance, and repaint the lines.
“We’ve put an island there too so pedestrians can cross at appropriate crosswalks and it’s a little bit more safe that way,” said Huston.
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