LETTER: North Cypress-Langford council opposed to R-CUT

Opinion

Re: R-CUT Intersection at Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 5

The Council of the Municipality of North Cypress-Langford would like to express its strong opposition to the proposed Restricted Crossing U-Turn (R-CUT) design at the intersection of the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 5. This concern is not isolated to council alone — a very high percentage of our residents also oppose the R-CUT design for a number of valid and serious reasons.

Farming realities

Our municipality is home to large-scale agricultural operations, which result in significantly higher volumes of oversized farm equipment and transport trucks than in urban areas. The majority of traffic at the Trans-Canada and Highway 5 intersection flows north and south, not east and west.

Time is money in farming, and even a small delay has a big impact. While the Manitoba Infrastructure (MIT) traffic model suggests a net-zero time loss, these are theoretical results that do not reflect real-world seasonal pressures like seeding and harvest.

Safety risks remain

Although the R-CUT has been labelled the safest option presented, council believes this does not eliminate risk within the two-kilometre stretch of the design. In fact, forcing large farm equipment and trucks to cross three to four lanes and shoulders to reach the U-turn area, only to then cross another three to four lanes to return to Highway 5 northbound, is both complicated and unsafe. These kinds of movements are not suitable for heavy, slow-moving equipment.

Impact on municipal infrastructure

Over time, the rerouting of large volumes of traffic — especially heavy equipment and transport trucks — will cause additional wear and tear on local municipal roads. This added strain on infrastructure will, without a doubt, translate into higher costs for the local taxpayer. Council cannot support a design that burdens residents financially.

Concerns about the trucking industry

Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor informed council that the trucking industry has not raised significant concerns with the R-CUT design. However, from our perspective, that does not align with the experiences of our residents. Time and time again, we’ve seen transport trucks lost within Carberry or stranded along municipal roads. The trucking industry is changing, and local knowledge is not always part of the equation for today’s drivers.

Lack of data and transparency

Since the beginning of the consultation process, council has asked multiple times for key data points — traffic counts, collision statistics and comparable R-CUT outcomes from other regions, particularly Saskatoon. Unfortunately, those questions remain unanswered. To clarify: These questions were raised early in the process. Only one traffic count was conducted in summer 2024. We have received no other followup or supporting data.

It remains unclear if traffic counts occurred during seeding or harvest — critical time frames for our region. We have not received data related to large farm machinery use at the Saskatoon R-CUT. A rural intersection like the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 5 cannot be compared to Saskatoon, where small vehicles dominate road use.

Public input was rushed

Council was honoured to present a petition on behalf of concerned citizens from both the Municipality of North Cypress–Langford and the Town of Carberry. Due to time constraints, little discussion was had when presenting it. We hope Minister Naylor and MIT staff took the time to review it in full, as it represents real voices and real concerns.

Consultants did their job — but the site is wrong

Council does not dispute that the consultants were tasked with finding the safest design — and they delivered what they were hired to do. However, just because this is the safest design does not mean this is the right location for it. Safety must be balanced with functionality, geography, and local realities.

PR 351 concerns

Provincial Road 351, which will see increased traffic as a result of the R-CUT design, is nowhere near minimum MIT standards. With narrow 10- to 11-foot lanes, rolling hills, multiple crossings and no shoulders, this road is dangerous. The risk has simply been moved from one intersection to 20 miles of underbuilt highway, now expected to carry large trucks and equipment.

In closing, this community has already endured a terrible tragedy at this intersection. While time will help ease the heartache, forcing an unpopular and ill-fitting design upon the residents of this region will leave lasting frustration and resentment.

After nearly two years of discussions and delays, we believe asking for more time to find the right solution is not only reasonable — it’s in the best interests of the provincial government.

The people who live and work here deserve a genuine say in decisions that directly affect their safety, livelihood and infrastructure.

Council of the Municipality of North Cypress-Langford