IN the past two months there have been four semi-truck rollovers in the intersection of the Highway 91 Connector / Highway 17 Intersection (SFPR). There have been five rollovers in this area since the road opened in December 2013, say Delta Police.

The speed limit through the area is 80 km/hr but the majority of these incidents have been low speed rollovers as the trucks negotiate the curve and the slope going on / off Highway 17.

The roadway in this area slopes in two directions – downhill north to south, but also northeast to southwest. This is quite apparent if you stand at the intersection and look at the roadway, police say.

Police are concerned that the road design / construction could be a contributing factor to these collisions, and that the design of the intersection amplifies the other factors involved in the rollovers.

In and of themselves, the rollovers do not usually result in any significant injuries to the truck drivers, particularly if they are wearing seatbelts. However, the possibility exists that if the issue is not meaningfully investigated and addressed, at some point one of these trucks will roll onto a passenger vehicle, likely resulting in significant injury, if not fatalities. Several of the trucks have rolled in to dedicated bicycle lanes.

These rollovers cause considerable significant commuter travel disruption and frustration – not to mention the financial cost and time the Delta Police spends investigating the collisions, or the financial cost and time lost to the trucking companies.

The Delta Police say they have brought their concerns forward to the Ministry of Transportation and have been advised that the ministry is conducting a review of this issue.