A serious accident has reignited concerns about the dangers of speeding along River Road in east Richmond.
"The situation on this stretch of road has reached a critical point, with numerous accidents, some fatal, occurring frequently, and residents are pleading for help," said Richmond resident Stefan Junker.
"Over the years, we have witnessed countless near misses and accidents, some resulting in vehicles ending up in the ditch or even the river.
"Tragically, two lives have been lost in front of our property, one in 2017 and another in 2015, with additional fatalities occurring mere metres away from this perilous section of the road."
The stretch of road in question is River Road between No. 6 Road and Westminster Highway, nicknamed "Misery Mile" or "Road of Death" by some.
On Thursday morning, a crash involving two vehicles in the 21200 block, east of Cambie Road, resulted in traffic in the area being blocked in both directions for more than two hours.
One vehicle was a dark-coloured Honda and the other, which was found "partially submerged in a ditch," was a light-coloured Ford van, according to Richmond RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Dennis Hwang.
The accident took place shortly after 9 a.m. and two ambulances were sent to the scene. Paramedics attended to six people and one person was sent to the hospital in stable condition.
Police are currently investigating the crash and speed is considered a factor in the collision, Hwang added.
Situation remains 'dire' despite previous calls for change
This was not the first time Junker, who works in the area, spoke to the Richmond News about the dangerous road conditions. In 2017, Junker raised concerns about the area after he tried to pull out a submerged driver with his colleagues.
"However, despite previous efforts to raise awareness, the situation remains dire," he said.
Reckless speeding in the area poses a "significant threat" to road users, Junker explained.
"Despite the posted speed limit of 50 kilometres per hour, motorists often exceed this limit, reaching speeds of 80 to 100 kilometres per hour, especially during rush hour when Highway 91 is congested."
According to a city staff report in 2017, 94 crashes happened on the stretch of the road between 2011 and 2015. Data from ICBC shows the number rose to 108 between 2018 and 2022.
The "long straight stretch of road" spanning more than one kilometre "exacerbates" the issue, Junker said, who's seen drivers frequently engaging in "dangerous overtaking manoeuvres."
He added the wooden bridge along the Fraser River affects visibility on the road, especially for property entrances on the left including his company's driveway.
Residents opposed to city's solutions, says city spokesperson
City of Richmond spokesperson Clay Adams told the News the city had tried to address safety issues in the area in the past.
"Like any section of road, River Road is fine if people adhere to posted speed limits and follow safe driving practices," he said.
"The city proposed placing speed bumps along there some years ago in response to concerns about speeding, only for residents to oppose the suggestion and ultimately resulting in the idea not going forward."
In 2017, the News reported the city was looking into adding new signage, altering the yellow lines and other measures such as placing a dozen speed bumps, widening the road and reducing the speed limit to make the area safer.
Although residents suggested adding delineators along the road to "deter speeding and improve visibility," Adams said this is not "always practical" for roadways with limited shoulders as the reduced space between vehicles and cyclists can increase risk to cyclists and other road users.
"Those on the Queensborough Bridge were put in place to reduce unsafe lane changing habits and related collisions, not for speed," he explained.
"That section of (River Road) is also not used by cyclists who have a separated pathway."
Adams added upgrades to River Road will "likely occur in the coming years" as the city's Dyke Master Plan gets implemented, separating some roadways and dykes.
"In the meantime, we encourage drivers to be responsible, adhere to the speed limit and demonstrate good behaviours," he said.
For anyone with concerns or questions, Adams suggested contacting the city's director of transportation, Lloyd Bie, by email at [email protected].
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