Smith?s residents will finally get traffic lights and a one-way system at a dangerous Collectors Hill junction.

Works and Engineering and Housing Minister David Burch conceded yesterday that not everyone would be happy with Government?s solution but work would begin next week on three new traffic lights, a sidewalk and one-way system for two months.

?People will know that this has been an accident spot for a number of years and there has been a number of plans and talking about what it is that we should do about it,? Sen. Burch said. ?We have come up with a solution. Everybody probably won?t be pleased with it but we have got to do something and we are going to.?

A.P. Owen Road, near the Collector?s Hill Apothecary, will only let cars in, he said.

?There will be a new road around the back that will allow egress from that location,? Sen. Burch said. ?And we are installing three traffic lights at each one of the junctions to address the problem. We still have one landlord we are negotiating with. They have agreed in principle so it is just a question now of whether they are going to lease or sell us the land.?

A spokesman from for landlord, Gibbons Management Services Limited, confirmed a decision from director David Gibbons was expected on Monday.

The Collectors Hill junction has been dangerous since 1987 when 37 collisions occurred.

The average number of accidents was one every 28 days in 1988 and 1989, one every 36 days in 1990 and one every 19 days in 1991.

Sen. Burch was unable to divulge the cost of the roadwork.

?The first thing that will happen is that a sidewalk will begin to be built,? Sen. Burch said. ?What we are asking people is for their tolerance and patience because clearly there are going to be some delays.?

Veronica DeCouto of the Smith?s Parish Council said the junction was very dangerous and there was an accident shortly before the Minister?s announcement. ?It is overdue,? she said. ?We are just happy the problem is going to be resolved.?

In November, Smith?s Parish Council chairwoman Laureen C. Bassett said negotiations took place with landowners to potentially extend parking into a marsh area and Centenary Church gave up some of its land to build a sidewalk.

Principal Highways Engineer Peter Havlicek admitted yesterday Works and Engineering aimed to complete the work by the end of March but there was still ?a few things to iron out?.

Government said the public supported the scheme, however, a nearby restaurant owner said there was no need for a bypass that will cut through a parking lot behind his shop.

?There is a lot of confusion. If they go through the other side there will be trouble,? Speciality Inn owner Peter Divulo said. ?The best way for me was to have stoplights but not have a one-way. A lot of people are not happy with this.?