CARROT RIVER — The highway crosswalk on Highway #23 just south of 3rd Avenue will be replaced this year.
The town agreed to pay half of the almost $33,500 cost of replacement, with the provincial highways ministry paying the other half.
“The reason it got moved to this year was because the Town of Carrot River agreed to pay 50 per cent,” said Kevin Trew, the town's administrator.
“The Ministry of Highways said if they went it alone, it would be a lower priority.”
The crosswalk will feature better markings, a sign mounted on an arm that goes over the highway and improvements in lighting. To council’s dismay, the crosswalk won’t have a push-button system that activates red lights when someone wishes to cross.
“It is not the crosswalk that we wanted, but we have to defer to the Ministry of Highways. The Ministry of Highways studied it, they have their policy of what they put in place for this kind of a crossing,” Trew said, “and this is the crosswalk that they’ll put in.”
The administrator said the town would have to install a push-button system on its own dime, something that would be extremely cost prohibitive. The hope is the new crosswalk will provide a base for a future upgrade that features a button.
