On Thursday, February 26, Champlain Township Council unanimously decided, without discussion, not to pursue a sidewalk extension along Highway 34 or the installation of traffic lights at the intersection of Highway 34 and Perreault Street, following the review of Public Works reports.
After deferring the decision at a previous council meeting, council followed the recommendations outlined in reports from Director of Public Works Maxime Lafrance, which called for the discontinuation of further design and construction activities related to the proposed sidewalk extension between the Vankleek Hill Foodland location and Vankleek Hill Collegiate Institute (VCI).
Although the project was intended to improve pedestrian safety and connectivity, engineering analysis determined it would require extensive drainage work and roadway modifications.
Lafrance noted that the approximately 360-metre extension was estimated to cost about $1 million and recommended that the funds instead be directed toward maintaining and renewing the township’s aging infrastructure in order to help keep tax increases to a minimum. The report concluded that the cost of the project was prohibitive, particularly at a time when infrastructure maintenance needs are expected to increase.
Council also declined to advance the proposed installation of traffic lights at the intersection of Highway 34 and Perreault Street, following Lafrance’s recommendation to respect the Ministry of Transportation’s (MTO) jurisdiction over highway infrastructure.
The MTO had determined through its most recent traffic study that traffic signals were not warranted under provincial criteria. While increased traffic volumes and nearby commercial development were cited as concerns, council unanimously opted to follow the ministry’s recommendations rather than commission an independent municipal traffic study.
The report noted that the next traffic count is scheduled for some time in 2026.
