Manitoba commits $12M to improve intersection after deadly bus crash

A report was released Monday on potential safety improvements to a Manitoba highway intersection that was the scene of a deadly crash last June.

The Manitoba government started the review after a semi-trailer collided with a minibus at the intersection of Highway 1 and Highway 5 near the town of Carberry, some 160 kilometres west of Winnipeg.

The bus was carrying seniors to a nearby casino and 17 people died at the crash site or later in hospital.

“This collision will be remembered as a tragic event that profoundly affected many Manitobans and beyond,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa  Naylor. “While we cannot undo the pain these families are experiencing, we are committed to taking steps to improve safety at this intersection for the future.”

Police said dashcam footage showed the bus was southbound on Highway 5 and crossing Highway 1 when it went into the path of the eastbound truck, which had the right of way.

The government review was to examine a range of possible upgrades to the intersection, which currently consists of stop and yield signs for drivers on Highway 5.

Monday it was announced that $12 million would be invested into making necessary upgrades to improve safety.

According to Naylor, the province will be talking to the public to gather information and feedback about the project.

The mayor of Carberry said long-term changes such as an overpass would help with safety, but there are more immediate measures that could be taken, such as reducing the 100 kilometre-an-hour speed limit.

“The difference of 10 or 15 kilometres (per hour) could make the difference between survival and non-survival,” Ray Muirhead said in an interview.

A wider median is also needed, Muirhead said, because large trucks wanting to turn on or off Highway 1, which is a busy stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway system, cannot fit between the eastbound and westbound lanes while they wait.

“When you get semis with double trailers trying to navigate around that corner, it’s treacherous.”

Doyle Piwniuk, the then-transportation minister under the former Progressive Conservative government, said changes including traffic lights or an overpass could be considered as part of the review.

“My thoughts are with all those who lost family or friends in this horrible crash, especially as they have just spent their first holiday season without their loved ones,” said Premier Wab Kinew.

“We have heard from families and local municipal leaders who are working to honour their loved ones with a memorial, and we want them to know the Manitoba government is ready to come to the table to support this project.”

Following the collision, the Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI) began developing a road safety strategy to identify immediate and long-term satefy improvements.

Part of the strategy also included a review of the intersection to make sure it met MTI standards.

Smaller steps were taken in the weeks after the crash. Signage was improved, and rumble strips and pavement markings were refreshed.

The province notes that it will also be looking at improving highway safety throughout the rest of Manitoba, which will include the creation of a permanent road safety unit.

The RCMP is still investigating the crash. A spokesperson for the force in Manitoba said officers have yet to speak to the driver of the minibus, but would not elaborate due to health privacy laws.

Shared Health, the province’s central health-care agency, has stopped issuing updates on how many people involved in the crash remain in hospital.