Residents and businesses will be given the chance this week to debate solutions to the dangerous junction at Collectors Hill in Smiths.

Government has drawn up four possible ways of solving the hazardous spot where two main roads meet and cars are constantly pulling in and out to get to shops.

A public meeting is being held on Thursday at 7.20 p.m. at Stephenson Memorial Hall at Centenary Methodist Church at the foot of Collectors Hill to give people a chance to comment on the options and to suggest solutions of their own.

The Ministry of Works and Engineering and Housing has circulated the four proposals to residents to encourage them to come to the meeting.

The first suggestion, costing $240,000, involves building a single feeder road at Pampas Road and constructing sidewalks in front of the shops.

Plan B, which would cost $125,000, would see the junction with Collectors Hill closed off at South Road and a bus stop put in its place.

Collectors Hill would be realigned to one link road just west of Pampas Road.

Option three would see AP Owen Road realigned to the west with a purpose-built junction with dedicated left and right turning lanes.

The sidewalk would be widened at the pharmacy and there would be a continuous sidewalk to the rear of the new westbound bus bay at a cost of $122,000.

The final possibility, at a cost of $56,500, is to build a road between the car parks at the rear of the North Rock Pub and the A1 Fine Food supermarket with sidewalks in front of the shops.

In the leaflet to residents, the Ministry states: ?The area of South Road in Smith?s Parish where it meets Collectors Hill is considered to be one of the Island?s most hazardous locations for traffic users.

?Not only is the configuration of the junction considered to be sub-standard, but there is considerable potential for conflict between traffic entering and exiting the many shops bordering South Road in this location.

?The resolution of the problems with the Collectors Hill/South Road junction is not easy. Therefore, the Ministry has decided to carry out a public consultation.

?The intention being that hopefully a consensus can be reached over tackling the problems.?