Crash at County Road 1 and Highway 62 Rekindles Calls for Long-Sought Roundabout

Date: October 09, 2023

A collision at the busy intersection of County Road 1 and Highway 62 on Monday morning has once again raised concerns about safety and renewed calls for the installation of a roundabout.

Prince Edward County OPP and Fire and Rescue were dispatched to the scene shortly before noon. Two vehicles sustained significant damage, though fortunately no serious injuries were reported among drivers or passengers.

The incident adds to a long list of crashes and near misses at the intersection, which the County has repeatedly flagged as dangerous. Despite ongoing advocacy for a roundabout, progress through the provincial approval process has been slow.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) launched the first of two public information sessions, held online in July. Residents were invited to comment on two shortlisted improvement options from an original list of six:

• Traffic signals with dedicated left-turn lanes, and

• A roundabout, which has emerged as the community’s preferred solution.

Local residents were first notified in October 2022 that preliminary design work and an environmental assessment were underway for potential intersection upgrades.

The public consultation period closed in August, and once a final shortlist is confirmed, the remaining options will move into a more detailed evaluation stage. This next phase will assess engineering feasibility, community impact, and environmental considerations, with a second public meeting expected later this fall to present a proposed preferred design.

According to the MTO, traffic monitoring conducted in spring 2022 revealed numerous near-collision incidents at the intersection. The ministry also noted poor driver compliance with existing traffic controls.

Despite warning signage and an overhead flashing beacon, safety concerns persist. The municipality initially raised alarms about the intersection as early as 2020, but early efforts failed to gain traction. In 2021, renewed attention followed an on-site visit involving MPP Todd Smith, PEC OPP Detachment Commander Staff Sgt. John Hatch, the mayor, and then Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney.

Prince Edward County has previously demonstrated success with roundabouts. The Highway 33 and County Road 1 roundabout, located west of Picton, became Ontario’s first highway roundabout when it opened in July 2009 after sustained lobbying by the County. That pilot project has since helped pave the way for similar designs across the province.

At the time of its opening, the then transportation minister cited research showing that roundabouts can reduce overall collisions by nearly 40 per cent, while injury-related crashes drop by more than 75 per cent.