Sask. aims to reduce crashes with safety improvements on highway outside of Prince Albert
The provincial government is hoping recently completed passing lanes and plans to twin a portion of Highway 3 west of Prince Albert will reduce serious crashes.
The province funded three sets of passing lanes between 10 kilometres west of Prince Albert to Shellbrook. It also plans on twinning a 7.1 kilometre stretch from the city to the Shell River bridge.
Minister of Highways Fred Bradshaw said the ministry has funded 27 sets of passing lanes across Saskatchewan in the past four years.
“We found everywhere where we put in passing lanes, the accident rate has gone way down,” he said.
Bradshaw said passing lanes have shown to reduce fatal crashes by 75 per cent.
“I’ve actually travelled this highway, so I know what it’s like out here and how much traffic is on that highway, especially with the lumber industry,” he said.
“People get lined up behind heavy equipment and they try to take a chance and go out and pass.”
Highway 3 between Prince Albert and Shellbrook has recently seen crashes resulting in deaths or serious injuries.
This includes the deaths of a 30-year-old man and a four-year-old boy last year.
Lexi Zbaraschuk has also been advocating for improvements since she suffered life-altering injuries in 2018, when her car collided with a semi-truck. She was 16 years old at the time.
In an interview with CTV News after the highway upgrades were announced, Zbaraschuk said she “was smiling so much she could barely talk.”
It’s also welcome news to Shellbrook mayor Amund Otterson. While some collisions are “inevitable,” he believes the safety improvements will significantly reduce serious crashes.
“A lot of people live in Shellbrook and work in Prince Albert. But on the other hand, education and health care workers come the other way in a lot of cases,” he explained.
“You’re not behind a lineup of commercial vehicles, which are going slow because they have to.”
The passing lanes cost $9.1 million. Pre-construction on the twinning outside of Prince Albert is set to start later this fall.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.