The latest changes to the design plans for the new Port Hastings roundabout will be presented at a public meeting to be held next Monday in the Strait-area community. The province’s public works department plans to replace the existing rotary, partly shown above, with a safer and more traffic-efficient roundabout. IAN NATHANSON/CAPE BRETON POSTPORT HASTINGS, N.S. – Bonny MacIsaac knows all too well the perils of the Port Hastings rotary.
“I think it looks much better and much safer than the other one we saw last year. It seems the department has listened to the feedback they got from the public.”The Cape Breton Post reached out to the province’s public works department for a conceptual drawing of the roundabout’s most recent design changes. However, department spokesperson Deborah Bayer said the image will not be made available until next Monday when a public information meeting will be held in Port Hastings.
“When it comes to the design, safety is at the forefront. The new roundabout will improve road safety, minimize traffic disruptions and make for a more efficient flow of traffic.” Motorists must decide whether they are heading south toward Port Hawkesbury and Route 4, east along the Trans-Canada Highway or north along Route 19 toward Inverness. Even those in the know will sometimes make a last-minute decision as to which route to take to the population centres on the east side of the island. All the while, they must also keep an eye out for traffic hitting the rotary from the various on-island routes.