LaSalle council looking for options to improve two busy intersections in the town

LaSalle council is being asked to approve funding to explore improvements to some busy intersections in the town.

A report going to Tuesday's meeting asks council to pre-approve $200,000 in the 2024 budget for an engineering analysis of the Sprucewood Avenue and Matchett Road intersection, and the Morton and Matchett intersection.

The intersections are right near the former Windsor Raceway property and the Ojibway Prairie land.

The existing intersection is partially owned by LaSalle and the City of Windsor, but the majority of the intersection is within Town of LaSalle limits.

A map showing Matchett Road between Sprucewood Avenue and Morton Drive in LaSalle. (Photo: Google Maps)

LaSalle Mayor Crystal Meloche says the town has an agreement with the city and the owner of the former raceway property that the area would be improved once development takes place.

She says unfortunately that hasn't happened in the past 10 years, and it doesn't look like it's coming anytime in the near future, so we want to look at options if LaSalle wanted to make improvements to the intersection to improve traffic flow. 

"Trying to find which way we can improve this stretch of traffic going in and out of the Town of LaSalle. The reason they're asking us to hire a consultant for this intersection, it's not just simply throw up a light and here we go," she says. "Unfortunately, if we were just to put a light up, that would actually cause more of a traffic congestion without having turning lanes.

Melchoe says in order to having turning lanes, the town would have to purchase land that lies in the City of Windsor.

"It's a little more complicated than just being able to throw up some lights or make a roundabout, because all that land to create a roundabout would be in the City of Windsor, which would shift that intersection into city boundaries," she says.

Meloche says if there is no intention to improve or develop that area, how long can the Town of LaSalle continue to sit on this busy intersection?

"As of right now, I believe the grade during rush hour is a D, which means it's not really functional," she says. "We need to get to the point where it's helping our residents move in a realistic time frame and safely through our community, so it's time to look at what other options we have."

LaSalle council meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

With files from Rob Hindi