Temporary closures for deadly Saskatchewan intersection

A deadly intersection just north of Saskatoon will undergo temporary changes this summer.

The provincial Ministry of Highways and the Rural Municipality of Corman Park agreed at a meeting on Monday that something needs to be done to improve safety at the deadly intersection just north of Saskatoon.

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The ministry proposed closing one access point to the busy intersection, reducing the amount of cross-traffic coming in and out of the intersection. The ministry will set up a temporary closure at Range Road 3052 as it approaches Highway 11.

Adam Tittemore with the RM said this is a pilot safety measure being implemented for now, while a long-term safety strategy is developed.

"There will be notifications that will be directly provided to RM ratepayers who would be directly affected by this. For instance, those that live along that stretch of road where access would be changed," Tittemore said. "The RM has been working with the Ministry of Highways to try and come up with solutions to make that intersection safer. And this, we're hoping, will be a positive first step in doing so."

In January, a family of four including a two and five-year-old died in a horrific crash at the intersection of Highway 11 and Wanuskewin Road. A Saskatoon woman faces charges of impaired driving causing death related to the crash. But the incident once again fuelled protests calling for safety measures at the intersection, which has seen a rise in collisions over the past couple of years.

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