Flin Flon’s most contentious four-way stop is on its way out.
City council has voted to remove the two stop signs on South Hudson Street. The two stop signs on the adjoining roads will remain in place.
“It just didn’t appear that there was any need for them to be there,” said Mayor Cal Huntley.
The South Hudson signs were installed at the Phelps Avenue intersection in 2011 amid speeding concerns.
Huntley said the RCMP have advised council that stop signs should not be used to attempt to control speeds.
He said the police will instead be ticketing speeders while Citizens on Patrol Program (COPP) has been invited to place its speed-monitoring sign on South Hudson.
Huntley said the South Hudson signs presented other problems, including impaired visibility for drivers watching for oncoming traffic.
Constant stopping at the signs in the winter would also polish ice and snow on the road, making conditions more slippery, he said.
In conjunction with the signs’ removal, a “blind intersection ahead” sign will go up on South Hudson.
There is no firm date for the removal of the signs, particularly since city crews have been busy with snow removal of late.
Many motorists have questioned the usefulness of the South Hudson stop signs. Huntley said he has anecdotally heard “quite a few complaints.”
