Province of Manitoba Releases Road Safety Report On Deadly Intersection Near Carberry

June 15, 2023, was the date of the deadliest crash in Manitoba’s history, a collision between a seniors’ bus trip and a semi-trailer in the intersection of Highway 5 and the Transcanada Highway just outside Carberry. On January 8, 2024, the Province released their safety report on the intersection and surrounding area. To be clear, this is a detailed report on the intersection itself and makes several short-term and medium-term safety recommendations. This is not a report on that specific accident, which is still under investigation by the RCMP.

Premier Wab Kinew and Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Lisa Naylor, alongside other provincial and regional representatives, held a press conference in Dauphin to release the report, outline the top three recommended options, and announce $12 million in Provincial funding to improve the intersection following a functional design process.

Before the press conference, they met with the families of the victims and survivors of the crash to release the information to them first and offer provincial support, both logistical and monetary, to whatever memorial that they and the community decide is appropriate.

While the crash was what initiated the safety review, the intersection had been a problem site for much longer than that. An independent panel of engineers looked at data going back over ten years as well as current conditions and traffic patterns at the intersection and further data from across the country to come up with their report and recommendations.

The three recommendations are a roundabout, a widened median, and a restricted crossing u-turn, or R-CUT, which would force approaching traffic on Highway 5 to make a right turn to merge into traffic and then make a U-turn from a dedicated lane to reverse direction and rejoin highway 5, eliminating the direct crossing. Whatever choice they make could provide a model for other locations across the province.

While many people have been calling for a traffic light to be installed at that intersection, data showed that a traffic light at that particular location with long stretches of uninterrupted highway on either side is more likely to cause more accidents. Another popular suggestion, a full interchange, is still a possibility for the long term, but current traffic volumes do not support it at this time.

The next step is a six to nine-month functional design process, which includes several public and industry consultations. The Province expects to start the actual build in late 2025, to be completed in 2026.