Skip to content

9th Street pedestrian crosswalk replaced

Westcana Electric Inc. crews are working to install a new pedestrian walkway at the 9th Street and Highway 3 crossing.
30139ferniefpNewsignage
Crews work to install the new 9th Street and Highway 3 pedestrian crosswalk.

Westcana Electric Inc. crews are working to install a new pedestrian walkway at the 9th Street and Highway 3 crossing.

The new lighting system will entail a sign that hangs over Highway 3 on the north and south sides of the highway crossing.

“We just replaced the light standards [poles] and the concrete bases.  We had [to install] new bases and new poles in order to get the strength to hold the sign out over top of the highway,” Westcana Electric Inc. electrician Todd Abbey said of the project.

In addition to the warning lights that are currently installed on the poles, the overhead signs will also have warning lights.

“Hopefully people travelling by will be able to see them a lot sooner,” Abbey noted.

The ineffectiveness of the previous lighting system was brought forward to council during their Feb. 23 meeting.

The low sight line and the colour of the lights (yellow versus the typical red) were to blame for the crosswalk being insufficient at stopping vehicle traffic.

“I would like to have a letter sent to the ministry stating that we have received a lot of complaints regarding the fact that apparently the light are not as visible [as they could be],” Fernie Mayor Mary Giuliano said during the meeting.

Now, just two months after the issue was brought forward, the installation of a new lighting system is nearly complete.

The project began on May 5 and crews expect the new lighting system to be completed by May 7.