Government of Manitoba Media Release |
The Manitoba government has released a new report that reflects the perspective of nearly 350 Manitobans who participated in an online engagement to make safety improvements at the intersection of Provincial Trunk Highway (PTH) 10 at PTH 83 in the town of Swan River, Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler announced June 17, 2021.
“Our government has committed to working toward a more responsive approach in listening to Manitobans and taking public feedback as part of the evaluation process when presenting options to the community,” said Schuler. “Protecting Manitobans on our highways is our top priority, and our government will consider the most practical and safest options to enhance road safety.”
The intersection in Swan River has a history of collisions, more specifically with vehicles turning left through the intersection. The province explored alternate intersection designs that could improve safety and reduce the likelihood of severe collisions.
Two options were presented to residents of Swan River for input: the addition of protected left turn lanes, and the construction of a new roundabout. Both options were then presented to the public through EngageMB from March 23 to April 13.
A total of 343 responses were received through the online engagement, with more than 90 per cent of respondents being residents, land owners, or business owners in the area. The engagement found that 76 per cent of respondents preferred the addition of a protected turn lane over the construction of a new roundabout. Based on the overwhelming feedback for the left protected turn lane, Manitoba Infrastructure has committed to implementing the improvements and construction is anticipated to be underway in the 2022 construction season, the minister noted.
He added provincial engineers will closely review the engineering assessment of the options, feedback from the public and the local government to assist in evaluating the proposed options and select a preferred option for the intersection improvements.