According to information shared by Nipissing First Nation, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation plans to install traffic lights aimed at increasing road safety along Highway 17 within NFN territory.
The work is slated to begin this summer.
"NFN has engaged in multiple productive discussions with the MTO to enhance road safety at these key intersections along Highway 17 within NFN following community feedback and a concerning number of vehicle collisions on the highway," reads the post on the official NFN website.
The project will begin with the installation of three sets of temporary traffic lights, to be placed at three high-incident intersections with Highway 17 west of North Bay, at Jocko Point Road, Nova Beaucage Road/Osprey Miikan Road, and Couchie Industrial Road. This will be an interim solution until the sites can be prepared to add permanent traffic lights.
The overall project could proceed on two different timelines, with the Nova Beaucage Road/Osprey Miikan intersection and the Couchie Industrial Road intersection making up one portion, and the Jocko Point intersection the other. NFN reports extra time is needed for the Jocko Point intersection project so MTO can consult with the Ottawa Valley Railway, which owns and maintains tracks near that intersection.