Police directing traffic at fatal intersection

Brandon Police Service officers are directing traffic during peak hours at the intersection of Highway 110 and Richmond Avenue East, where four-way stop signs are now in place.

Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor announced the implementation of the four-way stops in a news release Tuesday — almost three weeks after a woman was killed at the intersection when a semi-truck allegedly ran a stop sign.

“Any loss of life on our highways is tragic, and our thoughts are with the family and loved ones affected by this collision,” Naylor said in the release.

The four-way stops — previously there were only two on Highway 110 — are an interim measure until traffic lights that were installed last summer are operational. The province has said it is awaiting the arrival of at least one needed part and signalling upgrades for a nearby rail line before the lights can be activated.

BPS officers will direct traffic in peak hours during the afternoon shift changeover for Canada Packers at 6355 Richmond Ave. East, Mayor Jeff Fawcett told the Sun on Tuesday.

He estimated police will be at the intersection between around 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

“At that time, there can be potentially hundreds of cars … so the police will work that as a controlled intersection,” Fawcett said. “So, they might send 15 to 20 cars through and then have the north-south cross.”

Fawcett said east and west traffic is particularly high at that time, and having officers control the traffic will help it move “a bit more fluidly.”

The city has been in conversations with the province and Canada Packers, the mayor said, noting the company has played a “huge role.”

“Right now, we’re doing this because of a tragedy that happened,” he said. “We all expect people to be able to go to work and come home safe, so it matters a great deal to Canada Packers as well.”

He said he appreciates Canada Packers for being a “very good community partner” and focusing on keeping everyone safe when it’s easy to “point fingers” or “make noise” during a time like this.

The proposal to have police at the intersection was put on the table “fairly immediately” following the collision that killed a 49-year-old woman, who was employed at Canada Packers.

“All of this started too late, because it started a day or so after the accident.”

While the ultimate aim is to have the intersection controlled by traffic lights, Fawcett said the police presence will make drivers more aware and pay more attention when using the intersection.

BPS could not provide a comment by press time.

The May 27 collision occurred when a semi-truck driving north on Highway 110 failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with an SUV, police said.

Brijpal Panwar, 35, was subsequently charged with dangerous driving causing death. He was granted bail in Brandon provincial court earlier this month and is allowed to live in Ontario while awaiting trial.

The province converted the intersection to an all-way stop to “support safer traffic flow and prepare drivers for the future activation of traffic signals,” province said in Tuesday’s release.

Other measures the province plans to put in place include reducing approach speeds on all legs of the intersection to 70 km/h, installing more rumble strips and enhancing existing ones, closing parallel turning lanes and activating the traffic signals in flashing red mode in all directions, the release said.

Naylor said the traffic lights should be operational this summer, but it depends on the completion of rail interconnection work by Canadian Pacific Kansas City and the province.

» sanderson@brandonsun.com