Whatever you may think of the new interchange at McTavish Road and the Pat Bay Highway, it’s here to stay.
Like any major change to our roadways it will take a while for drivers to become completely comfortable navigating their way around. The key in the beginning is to take it slow and know where you’re heading before you enter or exit the highway.
Right now it does seem a long way to get from McTavish to the northbound lanes of the highway, or from Lochside through to the airport, but after a few trips, we will all be more comfortable with the flow of traffic and more assured of our destination as we wend our way around the circles.
We should remember that the majority of the vehicles will be flowing straight through on the highway, and taking the exits to and from the airport, leaving the other exits and entrances mostly to local traffic.
Being the transportation hub of the Island, as we are here on the Peninsula, is certainly a double-edged sword. While we suffer the extra noise and congestion we also enjoy the convenience of a quick trip to and from the ferries and airport and take advantage of large amounts of tax money they provide to our municipalities.
Yes, we can call the McTavish interchange a government make-work project, but it accomplished its goals of employing hundreds of workers during a tough economic time. It also provides our international airport — the one serving our province’s capital — with a smooth, easy transition into the highway system. Now all we need to do is convince the government to continue the trend further down the highway. Let’s just hope it doesn’t take another economic downturn to make it happen.
-Peninsula News Review