The Manitoba government is promising $12 million to improve a highway intersection where a crash last year killed 17 people.

The government has released an outside review of the intersection of Highways 1 and 5, where a semi-trailer collided with a minibus carrying a group of seniors to a casino.

The report says one safety risk at the intersection is a narrow median, which can be tricky for vehicles making left turns or going straight through.

The report outlines three potential changes — widening the median, turning the intersection into a roundabout or restricting left turns in some directions.

Crash memorial

Premier Wab Kinew says he wants to determine the safest change and follow through on it. Kinew says the province will also help fund a memorial to the victims of the crash. The crash happened near the town of Carberry, about 170 kilometers west of Winnipeg.

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

The intersection currently consists of stop and yield signs for drivers approaching on Highway 5.
The study looked at other potential changes, such as traffic lights and reducing the speed limit below 100 kilometres per hour, but determined those could create additional safety issues.

Signage improved

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

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, stopped issuing updates on the injured and whether any remained in hospital.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 8, 2024.