Carberry residents decry proposed RCUT as 'dangerous and unsafe' at tense forum over future of intersection

Lauren Scott · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 26, 2025 1:34 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

Transportation engineers presented their program for a Carberry-area intersection connected Wednesday, pushing guardant a arguable plan that scores of community members rallied against past month. 

More than 100 assemblage members confronted officials astatine a tense nationalist forum astatine Carberry Collegiate astir the destiny of the Highway 1 and Highway 5 intersection, wherever 17 radical died successful a clang 2 years ago. 

The lawsuit was billed arsenic a nationalist unfastened house, hosted by the Winnipeg-based firms Landmark Planning & Design and WSP Canada Inc., on behalf of Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure.

Some assemblage members raised voices, saying they didn't consciousness similar they were being heard, portion others interrupted the companies' representatives as they attempted to reply questions from the crowd. 

A petition with much than 2,100 signatures was handed to the firms' representatives, imploring the state not to move forward with the RCUT intersection design. In May, more than 100 protesters rallied adjacent the intersection voicing concerns the projected plan would make information issues  and confusion. 

A restricted crossing U-turn — oregon RCUT — astatine that intersection would mean postulation attempting to cross the Trans-Canada connected Highway 5 would person to crook close onto the Trans-Canada, then cross the median by making a near U-turn, earlier turning close to resume travelling connected Highway 5.

Jordan Dickson, who helped signifier the May protest, expressed her vexation straight with engineers connected Wednesday night, encouraging others to bash the same. 

"Absolutely nary 1 successful attendance is successful enactment of the RCUT," she said. 

"It is unsafe and unsafe for this country of the Trans-Canada. Hopefully the state doesn't really spell done with this and they determine to really walk immoderate wealth connected agrarian citizens for once," Dickson said, stressing the RCUT volition marque driving much stressful for farmers driving ample trucks and workplace instrumentality on the highway. 

Last year, engineers with Manitoba's proscription and infrastructure department shortlisted 3 imaginable solutions for the intersection: widening the median, a roundabout oregon an RCUT.

On Wednesday, the RCUT was presented arsenic the department's "preferred alternative." 

Dustin Booy, the proscription department's enforcement manager of road engineering services, said the RCUT is their apical prime due to the fact that it reduces the fig of "conflict points," oregon areas wherever drivers transverse postulation travelling a antithetic direction, which could marque accidents little likely. 

"The superior nonsubjective of our squad is safety. So we looked to the RCUT due to the fact that its usage successful different areas person shown rather melodramatic results successful presumption of information performance," Booy said. 

Canada's lone RCUT intersection is on Highway 16 adjacent Saskatoon. Booy said they person improved information successful immoderate parts of the United States. 

Wednesday's contentious unfastened location was the 3rd and last nationalist engagement lawsuit for this project. 

Booy said the section volition lone beryllium presenting provincial leaders with the RCUT arsenic its preferred plan for this intersection, but it won't beryllium acceptable successful chromatic until the authorities weighs in. 

An nonstop outgo estimation isn't disposable yet, but Booy says it could outgo astir $20 million. 

"At this point, it's up to the authorities to marque a determination astir however we proceed," helium said, adding that the state typically chooses the department's preferred option, but that isn't ever the case. 

"The section assemblage has expressed a measurement of interest with the intersection attraction and that's fair. It's their section community," Booy said. 

Carberry Mayor Ray Muirhead said helium was disappointed to spot that Transportation Minister Lisa Naylor wasn't astatine the meeting, aft cancelling a stakeholder gathering earlier this week. 

Muirhead's assembly is calling connected the state to physique an overpass, thing assemblage members person been asking for since helium archetypal joined section authorities successful the precocious 1980s. 

"Nobody wants the RCUT. We're each opposed to it. We consciousness that determination should beryllium an overpass," helium said. 

"I deliberation it's clip to walk the wealth and bash it close the archetypal time."

The authorities has antecedently said it's not considering an overpass due to the fact that determination isn't capable postulation to warrant one. 

Community organizer Dickson said proscription engineers should travel backmost successful the autumn to spot however engaged the road gets during harvest season. Booy said his squad plans to instrumentality successful the autumn to cod much data. 

Despite tensions betwixt engineers and Carberry residents, Debra Steen said this was the archetypal clip she felt the assemblage was heard passim the engagement process. 

"Our concerns person been dismissed since Day 1. And I don't deliberation they could disregard america today. I deliberation the connection was clear, the petition is there, and we person our MLA connected board," Steen said.  

Opposition Progressive Conservative MLA Jodie Byram, whose Agassiz riding includes Carberry, said she agrees that the state needs to see different options for the intersection. 

"I bash judge that determination needs to beryllium further consultation and reappraisal of what it mightiness look similar present for this assemblage astatine [Highway] 1 and [Highway] 5," Byram said. 

Mayor Muirhead said helium feels similar the RCUT whitethorn beryllium inevitable, but he's hopeful Wednesday's assemblage turnout volition chopped the RCUT from consideration.

"I've seen successful my acquisition implicit the years, that if there's capable of a nationalist outcry … definite situations person changed course. The authorities seems to find wealth successful definite situations. I'm hoping that volition hap here," helium said. 

Engineer Booy said helium hopes assemblage members volition support unfastened minds astir the intersection. 

"I genuinely judge successful the information of this solution," helium said, hopeful his squad tin determination guardant with the RCUT. 

"Having said that, it truly is conscionable a preferred alternate astatine this point."