New safety features at crash site

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This article was published 16/08/2023 (1009 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Rumble strips and new painted lines have been added to the intersection of the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 5 near Carberry in the Municipality of North Cypress-Langford as part of interim measures to improve safety after a pair of serious crashes earlier this year.

On June 15, a semi-truck collided with a bus carrying seniors from Dauphin at the intersection, leading to 17 deaths. Then, on July 31, a three-vehicle collision at the same location led to three people being airlifted to hospital with serious injuries.

In the wake of that second accident, Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure told the Sun in early August it was carrying out an in-service road safety review to propose both interim and long-term safety improvements at the intersection.

The department confirmed to the Sun on Tuesday that it completed the installation of rumble strips at the intersection on Aug. 10 and repainted lines in the area during that same week.

“The department is continuing to work on placing the advance warning signs and expects the signs to be installed in the near future. Some existing signs will also be replaced in the coming weeks,” read an email from an unnamed provincial spokesperson.

“Additionally, MTI’s consultant is continuing to work on the intersection safety review. The preliminary field investigation was completed on July 28, 2023, and MTI’s consultant is currently completing the safety analysis for the intersection. MTI expects a final report in late fall.”

Reached by phone on Tuesday, Carberry Mayor Ray Muirhead and North Cypress-Langford CAO Trish Fraser said representatives from the department met with both their councils on Monday to discuss the work being done at the intersection.

“They’re still doing their studies for the long-term stuff,” Muirhead said. “I don’t know if we’re looking at overpasses, cloverleafs, roundabouts, whatever, but they want to do something. They recognize that both the east and westbound lanes on the Trans-Canada are too close together, that median is way too close.”

According to Muirhead, provincial representatives said that Manitoba has plans on bringing several highways up to modern standards, not just the Trans-Canada and Highway 5.

On its Facebook page, the Town of Carberry shared an excerpt of a letter from Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure that provides a bit more detail.

“The department will review the recommendations from the (In-Service Road Safety Assessment) and implement them as soon as possible,” the letter reads. “Some of these countermeasures will be simple to implement immediately, however, the ISRSR may identify multiple options for longer-term countermeasures. These options may require further study to determine what the best solution is out of all of the alternatives that addresses all of the safety concerns. The final report is expected by the end of October 2023, and the department will aim to have an implementation plan shortly thereafter.”

The letter also provides more detail on the interim safety measures, stating that “important intersection” signs with flashing amber lights will be placed on both highways ahead of the intersection.

However, the speed limit will not be dropped below the current 100 kilometres an hour threshold.

Fraser noted that one of the councillors in her municipality expressed concern during the meeting about placing more signage at an already busy intersection potentially leading to distracted drivers.

Muirhead said he didn’t want the intersection to become like the Kemnay bridge, where trucks exceeding the height limit routinely get stuck underneath the structure every year despite “all the signs and lights and almost looking like the Las Vegas Strip.”

The Carberry mayor added that he believes this summer is the worst he’s ever seen in terms of near misses on the road.

“I said yesterday, at our meeting, you could have all the state-of-the-art intersections, lights, the whole bit,” Muirhead said. “But you’re not going to cure drivers who aren’t paying attention … I’m telling you, people are in a hurry. They’re inattentive.”

A few weeks after the first collision, both municipalities started an online petition on change.org asking for support in pushing for improvements at the intersection.

When the Sun last wrote about the petition earlier this month, there were 2,554 signatures. As of Tuesday afternoon, there was 3,238 signatures, with Fraser stating more than 50 people had signed a paper version of the petition at the North Cypress-Langford town office.

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