Safety and traffic flow has improved since improvements to busy LaSalle intersection, says town’s mayor

It’s been a year since construction at a LaSalle intersection has wrapped up. How are things going?

LaSalle’s mayor says safety and traffic flow have both improved since improvements were made to a key intersection in the town just over a year ago.

The intersection of Matchett Road and Sprucewood Avenue reopened on May 3, 2025, after improvements were made to the previous four-way stop intersection, with the installation of new traffic signals, a left-turn lane, and sidewalks.

The intersection is a key commuter route that connects LaSalle and Windsor with the work costing the town $1.5 million.

Mayor Crystal Meloche says she spoke with LaSalle Police and Fire and found out there has been a significant improvement in traffic flow and safety in that area.

“I was able to look at a stat that showed once we installed the lights last year, there was only one accident in 2025, and that was in the days of it reopening, which is normal. People are in their automatic mode and used to a four-way stop, so an accident did occur,” she says.

Meloche says she would definitely say the biggest benefit is the traffic flow and saving people time when commuting to and from work.

“We always heard from people who wanted to protect the Ojibway area and didn’t like seeing cars idling in front of there. We would get cars lined up 40 to 50 deep at rush hour. This has definitely been a huge improvement as far as everything goes; safety has been an improvement, and traffic flow has been an improvement,” she says.

Meloche adds that the work a year ago has also played a factor in managing traffic flow, given other major projects in that town that are impacting traffic, including on Front Road.

The $7.9 million Front Road Storm Sewer Reconstruction project is resulting in lane restrictions, road closures, and detours during the work this spring and summer to rebuild a stretch of Front Road between Boismier Avenue and Reaume Road.

There is also work on Front Road from Lafferty Avenue to Boismier Avenue and on Front Road from Lafferty Avenue to Bouffard Road.