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A major change is coming to traffic flows on Thompson Road East at Townsend Centre.
Norfolk council has agreed to convert the intersection of Thompson Road East and Cockshutt Road to a four-way stop. As well, the speed limit in the approach to the intersection will be 60 km-hh in all four directions once the work is complete.
In a report to Norfolk council on Sept. 15, staff said safety at the intersection has been a longstanding concern for Norfolk OPP, Norfolk’s police services board and senior county officials.
“The intersection has a history of traffic incidents and concerns,” Jason Godby, Norfolk’s interim general manager of public works, said in a report to council. “The proposed all-way stop condition and speed reductions provide an immediate improvement to motorist safety at minimal cost.”
Some on Norfolk council were surprised to hear that a consultant’s report suggested that the best traffic-control solution was a roundabout – an intersection concept popular in Europe that has been making inroads in North America in recent years.