In a letter to the Ministry of Transportation and local politicians, sent to Doppler by one of its members, the Peninsula Lake Community Association is calling for a safety review of Hwy 60, Thom Thomson corridor, particularly east of King William Street in Huntsville.
The letter, signed by Association President Lori Tersigni, notes that there have been nine deaths on that stretch of the highway in the past 15 years. “Most of these fatalities have occurred on [an]8 kilometre stretch in the Deerhurst-Hidden Valley-Hillside area,” states the letter. “Nine fatalities is a stunning and alarming number. We suspect this stretch of provincial highway has had more fatalities than any other similar stretch of highway in Ontario.”
Tersigni describes the two-lane provincial highway as one of the most important rural highways in Ontario because it provides a primary access route to Algonquin Park and is one of the main vehicular routes to Ottawa.
“This roadway is also a gateway to Ontario recreation and cottage country including the Deerhurst Resort (site of the G-8 Summit in 2010), the Hidden Valley Ski area, Limberlost Reserve and many resort and accommodation options in north Muskoka,” she adds.
Tersigni also noted in her letter that many years ago, the Province engaged Toronto engineering firm McCormick Rankin to conduct a comprehensive study, which included blind hills and curves. She said the engineer pointed out critical issues back then, including the Harp Lake rock cut, curve, and access turn; the blind hill by the Hillside store; the blind hill, curve, and access turn by Golf Course Road; and the blind hill by Pioneer Memorial Church.
“McCormick Rankin estimated (2011) that traffic was expected to increase 1.5% annually. The report concluded: If nothing is done to upgrade Highway 60, there will be ‘more congestion, especially in the summer months, and continuing safety issues,” according to Tersigni. “Unfortunately, corrective safety measures considered 15 years ago were never implemented by the provincial government, which is why we [are]calling for, in light of multiple fatalies, an immediate review,” she concluded.
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Roger Poirier says
Yes, I totally agree. Three years ago in June, I was first on the scene to where a horrific accident took place on the blind curve. A head on collision occurred there where a 62 year old man from Huntsville was killed and the other occupants who caused the incident were critically injured. The hwy was shut down for the air ambulance and other emergency vehicles.
The sounds of the crash, then complete silence still resonates in my mind when we travel that route to the cottage in LOB.
Maybe install flashing warning lights saying dangerous curve ahead?
Roger Poirier
brian tapley says
This section of highway is an issue now and can only get worse under the present policies. One glance at the development around Huntsville tells you it is no longer a “town” but a “small city” but it still is suffering from feeling like a town in some ways. It is at that point where some infrastructure is too big and some too small and in many cases nothing is ideal. (is anything ever ideal in a city?)
When they rebuilt highway 60 in 1969 I think, the travel time from Dwight to Huntsville dropped to less than 15 minutes. There were few accidents but of course much less traffic.
Now we have stop lights along the way and a 4 lane section.
The speed limit drops in the 4 lane section but curiously, as soon as you reach the 4 lane part, the traffic generally speeds up and you get the ‘right lane passing idiots” who just for some reason need to get just past the Deerhurst road narrowing ahead of others and are willing to nearly shove one off the road to to it.
The bottom line is that in the 70’s one could reasonably expect 20 minutes to get you to Huntsville but now you better allow 40 or you will be late.
I’m no expert but the two sets of traffic lights at Canal Road and Grandview have something seriously wrong with them. I live here and drive them a lot and I still find the red light set up on the oncoming lanes to be confusing. There is more rubber, from big dual wheel trucks, left on this road near these lights than you normally see anywhere except a drag strip. There is something basically wrong with this set up that needs to be addressed.
I have my ideas about how to make this road safer but nobody listens to me, I just live here.
Doug McKnight says
A good start would be revisiting the traffic law that now permits drivers to pass on a double
yellow line and make it illegal. Presently Police in Ontario have the ability to issue a ticket for unsafe passing in any situation, but unlike in other provinces there is no specific prohibition against crossing a double line.
We have witnessed drivers passing on a double yellow line going up a blind hill as well as coming at us at many locations on 60 from highway 35 all the way into Huntsville. The sad reality is no study or review will result in increase safety along the corridor. That would take increased policing and those drivers who push the envelope slowing down. Our police force is already stretched dreadfully thin thanks to the government and some people seem content to put their own personal agenda ahead of safety of others.