Stanley Bridge roundabout snow woes could have been avoided, says PC MLA

Snow removal issues at the new Stanley Bridge roundabout could have been avoided if the government had just listened to local residents, says PC MLA Brad Trivers.

Instead of guiding traffic with concrete barriers, the roundabout directs traffic with bright yellow paint. It doesn't take much snow to obscure the roundabout entirely, and that's left some motorists this winter going straight through or using it as a four-way stop instead.

• Stanley Bridge's painted roundabout covered by snow

• Stanley Bridge roundabout covered in skid marks

• Stanley Bridge roundabout is 1st of its kind on the Island

Trivers said he's hearing from concerned constituents who say the inability to see the painted roundaboutis providing an ongoing challenge and they have safety concerns.

"You really have to make sure you engage the community, especially on infrastructure items and roads in particular, because these are things that people use every day and understand very, very well, especially in rural parts of the Island," he said.

"There is a lot of I told you so's going round about."

Trivers said residents raised concerns last summer before the roundabout was installed that the markings would get covered in snow.

He suggests government should have listened more carefully to residents and tried out a simpler and cheaper four-way stop solution before putting in the roundabout.

P.E.I. transportation officials said earlier this month that there is a yield sign and very low traffic flow in the winter months, so occasional snow cover doesn't present a safety concern.