Carberry residents are planning a protest over a proposed fix to a highway intersection that was the site of a deadly crash in 2023. The intersection at Highway 1 and Highway 5 will be seeing safety improvements following the crash on June 15, 2023, that left 17 people dead. Since the crash, several consultations with residents have taken place to find options to improve safety at the intersection. One of the proposed options for the site is a RCUT crossing, or a restricted U-turn. The RCUT would not allow vehicles to cross the highway directly, but instead, they would have to turn onto the highway and then use a U-turn lane. “It’s just not the right fit for this area,” said Debra Steen, one of the residents behind the protest in the area. Jordan Dickson, another resident who is opposed to it, said the RCUT wouldn’t work in the area due to the volume of traffic, especially large truck traffic for potato harvest season. “It’s just a recipe for disaster for all these trucks and slow-moving equipment,” she said. “The consultants say that they’ll be able to fit through the U-turn, but to actually do the merging on Highway 1, that’s where we see a lot of danger happening and a lot more potential accidents.” Steen and Dickson both feel the consultants are forcing the RCUT on the community. “We’re not against making the intersection safer,” Dickson said. “We’re trying to get across the point that it needs to be thought through and done correctly.” “We need to all sit down at the table, and they need to hear our voices,” Steen said. “The farming community is very important around here. We need to do this once, and we need to do it right.” Other options proposed include widening the median, an option Steen and Dickson are in support of. A rally at the intersection will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday. A spokesperson for the province said a final decision has not been made. “Work continues on the functional design process and the project remains on schedule with construction set to begin in early 2026, with opening to traffic expected in fall 2026,” the spokesperson said. -With files from CTV’s Jeff Keele
