Visitors to the Derek Doubleday Arboretum should be able to come and go as they please.

At least that鈥檚 the plan at the Township of 91原创. And they鈥檝e approached 91原创 City to help make it happen 鈥� eventually.

On April 18, City staff presented council with a series of recommendations related to the traffic signal being installed at Fraser Highway and Old Yale Road, as part of the new Nicomekl River bridge construction.

When the signal becomes operational this spring, it will control traffic in both directions along Fraser Highway at Old Yale Road, where the two routes meet, at the east end of the bridge.

Currently, the intersection is configured as a T, but the Township鈥檚 plans for the arboretum include some day opening an existing laneway to the north of Fraser Highway as an entrance to an 80-vehicle parking lot, initially with right-in and right-out access only.

鈥淭raffic would have to be restricted to right-in, right-out, until the Township paid for the traffic signal head to control traffic coming out of the arboretum,鈥� said City engineer Gary Vlieg.

Even though the design likely won鈥檛 come into play for several years, City staff asked council to approve a request from the Township that the City include provision for traffic at the light to turn in and out of the park in any direction or cross Fraser Highway into the arboretum from Old Yale Road.

Groundwork has already been laid in anticipation of a four-way signal, so the new road would not need to be torn up, Vlieg told council.

But Councillor Jack Arnold saw only trouble in waiting to configure the full access signal.

鈥淭here鈥檚 no such thing as right in and out only, unless it鈥檚 made physically impossible,鈥� said Arnold.

鈥淧eople will make illegal lefts in and out of the arboretum. Have you calculated the number of accidents that will occur?

鈥淭he lights should be done now.鈥�

Most of council disagreed, however, supporting an amendment proposed by Councillor Dave Hall, to strike the first staff recommendation that it support the request to provide a full movement access to the arboretum at the intersection.

However, the access to the arboretum can go ahead, at the Township鈥檚 cost.

When the changes are made, which could be years down the road, the Township will bear the costs of modifying the intersection and signals, council ruled.

Some council members also questioned whether the additional traffic triggering a north-south green light has the potential to cause further back-ups along an already-congested Fraser Highway.

A traffic analysis indicates the road has 鈥渕ore than sufficient capacity鈥� to accommodate the traffic coming and going from the arboretum, Vlieg said.

The new traffic light would be designed to operate in co-ordination with the next closest light at Fraser Highway and the 91原创 Bypass, with the bulk of the green time given to Fraser Highway and very little to north-south traffic, he explained.