The idea of having a roundabout installed at a busy intersection in Casselman is being circulated.
Casselman council has passed a resolution asking the United Counties of Prescott and Russell to construct a roundabout on Principale Street/County Road 7 at the intersection with Racine Street and Laflèche Boulevard.
There are currently traffic lights at the intersection but there is a tight curve on Racine Street as it approaches Principale Street. There are also complications with traffic backing up in front of entrances to businesses on Laflèche Boulevard.
The United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR) Public Works Committee Report from August 14 states that Public Works Director said the existing intersection is “functioning decently” and that both the counties and Casselman have already invested “many thousands of dollars” in the intersection over the years.
Clermont also said in the report that there are already numerous physical limitations such as nearby business entrances, utility poles, and an insufficient amount of space for the roundabout. He suspected land would have to be taken from nearby businesses and the Ministry of Transportation because of the proximity to the Highway 417 ramps.
At the committee meeting, Clermont showed a diagram of the Embrun roundabout superimposed over the Casselman intersection to demonstrate the limitations of space and other hazards. He said that due to those hazards and limited space, it would probably cost about $2 million to construct the roundabout in Casselman and that according to counties policy, the municipality would be responsible for 50 per cent of the cost.
The committee recommended that hiring a consultant to study the feasibility of a roundabout be included in the 2020 UCPR budget process. The cost would be split between the UCPR and Casselman.
“We’d like to have one,” was Casselman Mayor Daniel Lafleur’s statement about the municipality’s desire for a roundabout.
