Upgrades to begin on dangerous stretch of Trans-Canada Highway in Headingley

A 1.7 kilometre section between the John Blumberg Complex intersection to the Husky-Coverall intersection will be upgraded to a four-lane divided highway.

A section of the Trans-Canada Highway in Headingley that has seen multiple fatal crashes is getting several upgrades, including changing from an undivided to a divided road. Some hope the changes will improve safety, while others say more work is needed.

A 1.7 kilometre section of the Trans-Canada between the John Blumberg Complex intersection to the Husky-Coverall intersection will be upgraded to a four-lane divided highway.

Other changes include a new raised median, three-metre-wide paved shoulders and service roads.

"It will reduce the number of crossover collisions. It will also put left turn lanes at the intersection, traffic signals to make all the traffic flow more (safely) when they cross each other,” said Ron Weatherburn from Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation.

Last month, 21-year-old Derek Bossuyt was killed on the road near the John Blumberg softball complex. A semi with no trailer crossed the centre line and crashed into his vehicle.

Bossuyt was CTV photojournalist Ken Gabel's stepson.

"It's just been surreal and you don't think it's happened sometimes. You hope to wake up and it's a dream," said Gabel.

The stretch of highway where the crash happened is known for being dangerous, something which Gabel has witnessed in his career.

"We're always sympathetic when we go to scenes for our jobs, but it really hit home now. It's just hard," he said.

Randolf Enns, 33, from Edmonton is charged with dangerous operation causing death in the crash, said RCMP last month.

The mayor of Headingley, Wilf Taillieu,  has been pushing for upgrades for years to the highway. He said he would like to see improvements stretch further down the highway to Winnipeg.

"The plan is good. Only thing is, (the plan) has been in place since 1995 and it's taken an awful long time to get it done," said Taillieu.

The province said upgrading the stretch to Winnipeg is on the list for future work, but there is no timeline on when that will happen.

Construction to overhaul the one section of the highway is set to begin this week. The project should be completed by the fall of 2014, said the province.

Officials said there will be no detour and traffic will be accommodated during construction. Drivers are advised to expect delays and to follow directions of flag persons.

- with a report from Ina Sidhu