A majority of Port Hawkesbury residents want to see Reeves Street returned to a four-lane configuration.

That is according to the results of a special vote — or plebiscite — held as part of Saturday’s municipal election.

Around 60 per cent of those who voted said they want to see Reeves Street return to the 2019 four-lane configuration.

The final results showed 1,018 votes in favour of changing the main artery with 673 votes against it.

The street’s design has been a contentious issue for years — with discussions related to safety concerns dating back to 2012 — but more so since it went from being four lanes to three with some turning lanes.

The idea behind the change started as part of a pilot project known as “Destination Reeves Street”. The road was repainted to three lanes to make it more of a main street in town, rather than a throughway.

However, the changes have caused some traffic congestion and confusion related to signage, but others support the reconfiguration and its intent.

Councillors voted in August to let citizens have their say on the future of the street through a plebiscite.

Reeves Street is provincially owned, so it will ultimately be up to the Department of Public Works to decide what happens next.