Hwy 12 roundabout favoured by RM of Ste Anne

A roundabout on Highway 12 is the favourite option of the RM of Ste Anne out of the four alternatives presented by the Province to improve the intersection at Provincial Road 210.

The four were whittled down from 11 by Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI), and design and engineering firm AECOM. A delegation from the company and MTI spoke to the RM’s council July 10.

“They’re really working hard on focusing on reducing not necessarily the amount of accidents, but the severity of the accidents,” said RM Reeve Richard Pelletier.

He pointed out that he is travelling in Quebec, where highway roundabouts are less rare.

“They’re very considerate in regard to not doing to much of a big impact for the people around Ste Anne. They want to protect the people, they want to minimize the accidents, and mostly the severity of the accidents.”

That is why, according to a provincial spokesperson who said no engineers were available for an interview, traffic lights were not one of the four options.

The roundabout would see the speed limit lowered to 80 km/h as highway traffic approached it, and a limit of 30 to 40 km/h in the intersection itself. Large transport trucks would likely need to “come to a very low speed or complete stop before entering the roundabout,” according to an analysis from the province.

That same analysis also said there would also still be an increase in the number of collisions with the roundabout.

“Based on analysis, traffic signals can accommodate projected traffic volumes. However, based on in-service road safety review and safety performance factors for signalized intersections on rural highways, total collisions are expected to increase with implementation of a signalized intersection. The four alternatives being presented to the public are the alternatives that best address both collision and traffic concerns,” wrote the spokesperson via email.

AECOM held an open house in the town of Ste Anne July 12 at Club Jovial, where engineers did tell residents similar reasons: collisions could go up and they would be more severe if traffic lights were installed.

Helen Connelly lives on the south end of Ste Anne and travels to Steinbach for work. She was at the open house last Friday.

“I live basically facing that intersection, and I have first-hand seen accidents and hear the crashes, see the ambulances come up. So it is definitely a problem intersection.

“Most of it is I just don’t think people are taking the time to cross the intersection,” said Connelly.

She said the rumble strips and other improvements over the years have not really helped. But Connelly did not like the two options that would involve closing the median at PR 210 to traffic crossing over the highway and creating a 7-kilometre mostly gravel detour using Owens Road to force traffic to use Dawson Road’s (PR 207) overpass.

“Ideally, I think I would have loved to see traffic lights but I see that’s off the table now. So ideally not closing it but making it safer I’m all for. But if they close it I can see it causing a lot of stress at the intersection of Traverse and Centrale because just today (Friday) there was an accident and a lady t-boned a cop car,” said Connelly, who prefers the roundabout out of the four options given.

“There hasn’t been a lot of accidents at that intersection, at Traverse and Centrale, but I have seen a lot of near-misses. And I think some of those near-misses are people turning left onto Traverse, and a car is just impatient and crosses right in front of me.”

Centrale Avenue – which is also PR 207 – and Traverse Road are not planned to be part of any improvements if there is a detour.

MTI and AECOM also met virtually with the Town of Ste Anne council. Mayor Yvan St Vincent was at the open house. He said council has not discussed the presented options as a group yet.

“We’ve just been walking around and we had all the same questions that I’ve been hearing people ask like why not signal lights, and the long detour – trying to wrap our head around that one,” said St Vincent.

“I think informally we were kind of interested in the roundabout idea, but I know our operations person had a lot of questions about snow clearing and all that kind of stuff.”

He said the Town does not have the jurisdiction to improve Centrale Ave because it is a provincial road.

“If we’re going to see an increase in Centrale traffic, then we’re going to have some questions about ensuring that’s a safe route, too, because it’s already quite busy with the increase in population,” said St Vincent.

“We do agree that the overpass should be used more than it is. However, we have to be prepared for the traffic on Centrale, to mitigate that as well.”

An alternative that would require the detour include a median half closure with left turns allowed but no using PR 210 to cross Highway 12. The other is closing the median completely. Having the detour may require a bridge upgrade on Owens Road, according to MTI.

Another option for a U-turn on Highway 12 that can support semi-trucks is being considered, which would avoid the detour.

The Province’s preferred option is scheduled to be selected this July or August, and presented to the public this fall.

MTI is taking public feedback on the options with a survey online at engagemb.ca/pth12.