NORTH DELTA - Public calls to install a median on a dangerous portion of Highway 10 following a fatality will likely not be heeded by the province.
Surrey teens Chantal MacLean and Cody Kehler died Oct. 13 on the curve, west of Scott Road in North Delta, prompting the public to call for protective barriers between the fourlanes of traffic.
While a spokesman for the ministry of transportation and infrastructure expressed condolences to the accident victims, no changes are planned for the provincial roadway. "There is currently insufficient room to add median barriers to this section of highway," the spokesperson said. "In order to meet safety requirements, the highway would need to be widened by about two to three metres to accommodate the placement of a median barrier."
Delta Police Sgt. Sarah Swallow said a median would be a traffic-management initiative supported by police.
"Properly separating traffic has the effect of reducing head-on collisions, and this is something we have seen in the case of the medians installed at the base of Nordel Way," she said. "However, our focus as police still remains on education and enforcement initiatives for drivers to limit preventable collisions."
The speed limit on that section of road is 80 km/h, although some drivers exceed that speed significantly, which can result in disastrous consequences on the curve, particularly in rainy weather.
The curve on Highway 10 is an "old chestnut" said Mayor Lois Jackson, adding it's been discussed by many previous councils. Since the latest crash, Delta has contacted the ministry once again requesting something be done for commuter safety.
Adrian MacNair, with file from Delta Optimist