Crosswalk crash stalls Iqaluit traffic
Traffic accident downs pole on Niaqungusiariaq Road
Police and city workers stand at the intersection of Niaqungusiariaq Rd. and Queen Elizabeth Way as heavy machinery removes a downed crosswalk pole on Thursday. (Photo by Daron Letts)
A downed crosswalk pole on Niaqungusiariaq Rd., across from Iqaluit’s Qikiqtani General Hospital clinic entrance, slowed traffic for 90 minutes, following a two-car collision at around noon on Thursday.
“Everyone was checked at the scene, and one person went to the hospital on their own afterwards for further assessment,” said city spokesperson Geoff Byrne in an email.
The city warned drivers of the traffic disruption in a public service announcement issued shortly after 12 p.m.
Two RCMP vehicles blocked Niaqungusiariaq Rd. about two hundred metres past the Sailijaaqvik boarding home at the southeast corner of the intersection. An RCMP truck also blocked Queen Elizabeth Way about 100 metres from the entrance to Astro Hill.
Traffic was backed up on Niaqungusiariaq Road all the way up to Joamie School for approximately 90 minutes while city workers removed the pole, broken in two places, with heavy equipment. The crew also filled-in the hole left behind.
The intersection is the site of Iqaluit’s first controlled crosswalk, which was installed in fall 2024.
Those yellow bollards are supposed to withstand a car hitting them to protect pedestrians waiting at the crosswalk. Would also have protected the pole and generally created less danger. The city should look into what looks like substandard construction.
The bollards did their job and most likely saved lives yesterday, maybe the question should be how fast was the truck moving. the truck pushed a pickup 180 degrees and into a ditch, removed bollards and took out a light pole. I don’t think it was going the posted speed limit or even close to it. Without the bollards the speeding truck would have made the boarding home a drive thru!!!
Speaking of posted speed limits, what happened to the 30 km/h signs that were at the turn by the courthouse? With the speed some folks travel around that turn, I’m surprised no one has been hit or killed in the crosswalk yet. Half the drivers can’t even stay on the road and end up driving on the shoulder. It’s a dangerous place to walk as a pedestrian.
Glad no one was seriously hurt. A quick clarification on the bollards: standard protective bollards are designed to stop low-speed vehicle impacts and keep cars off sidewalks and waiting areas. They aren’t designed to stop a speeding loaded box truck.
Glad to hear no one was seriously injured.
Perhaps this is an excellent opportunity for the city to re-think the location and design of that crosswalk.
The location didn’t make sense with walking patterns and this meant that the official crosswalk lights and location was underused. Pedestrians shouldn’t have to walk out of their way to press the button, and then to cross at a spot that isn’t on the natural path.
Just a thought.
The location and design of that crosswalk has caused so much confusion at an already chaotic intersection. Bad for pedestrians and bad for drivers. Very, very poorly planned and designed.