Manitoba scraps RCUT proposal for site of deadly bus crash after pushback

Arturo Chang · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 09, 2025 2:39 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

The Manitoba authorities is not moving guardant with a connection to enactment a restricted crossing U-turn, oregon RCUT, astatine the tract of a deadly autobus clang successful the Carberry country 2 years ago.

The state says it won't enactment an RCUT astatine the intersection of the Trans-Canada and Highway 5, wherever 17 radical were killed aft a collision betwixt a semi-trailer motortruck and a autobus successful June 2023, aft proceeding locals' frustrations with the proposal.

That enactment would person eliminated nonstop near turns from the Trans-Canada and going straight north-south connected Highway 5. Instead, drivers would make merges and U-turns to get wherever they're going.

"While engineers identified it arsenic a harmless option, agrarian Manitobans told america it's not the close fit," Premier Wab Kinew said successful a statement. "We're listening, stepping back, and processing a caller attack that prioritizes information and reflects section needs."

Last month, more than 100 assemblage members confronted officials astatine a tense nationalist forum astatine Carberry Collegiate astir the destiny of the intersection. A petition with much than 2,100 signatures implored the state not to move forward with the RCUT intersection design. 

WATCH | Manitoba authorities video shows however RCUT would work:

The June 15, 2023, clang near 17 radical dead and 8 others injured, aft a semi and a autobus afloat of seniors from the Dauphin area, connected their mode to a casino adjacent Carberry for a time trip, collided astatine the intersection.

A period later, 3 radical were injured astatine the aforesaid intersection following a three-vehicle crash.

The state earmarked $12 cardinal for information upgrades at the intersection. The RCUT was among 3 projected redesigns, on with widening the median oregon putting up a roundabout.

Government listening: mayor

Some locals, arsenic good arsenic Carberry's municipality council, person argued the state should physique an overpass instead.

"I was connected assembly connected 1989 erstwhile this was addressed, and I mean, 36 years later, there's thing done," Mayor Ray Muirhead said. 

"I cognize an overpass is the astir costly option, but I tin warrant it's not going to get cheaper successful time. So I think it's clip to wound the bullet, truthful to speak, and bash it close the archetypal time."

The state has antecedently said an overpass is not an enactment owed to the existent postulation volumes, and provincial officials had indicated the RCUT was their preferred solution.

Muirhead said that redesign would have added complications to an country that often sees a precocious measurement of traffic, including trucks and workplace equipment.

"You don't privation to confuse things much than they are," helium said.

Jordan Dickson, who lives adjacent the intersection, helped organized a protestation against the RCUT connection successful May. She said it was wide during consultations that officials didn't instrumentality into relationship however engaged the intersection tin get, peculiarly during harvest season.

They thought "there'd beryllium possibly a fistful of trucks going done there," according to Dickson.

"Yes, the intersection needs to beryllium fixed, needs improvements … but what we're besides asking for is not for it to beryllium done [with] the quickest, easiest and cheapest option, which it was precise wide that the RCUT was."

Canada's lone RCUT intersection is on Highway 16 adjacent Saskatoon, though they beryllium passim the U.S., where transportation officials person said RCUTs successfully reduce the fig of terrible and fatal collisions.

Public consultations connected the intersection's redesign began past July. The state says it volition spell backmost and person much consultations present that the RCUT connection has been scrapped.

Muirhead said Premier Wab Kinew told him astir that decision Friday. Removing the RCUT enactment from the array shows the authorities is listening, and hopefully "they'll travel up with a amended solution," said Muirhead.

Dickson said she would inactive similar to spot the state take an overpass.

"They're putting overpasses successful Winnipeg, truthful wherefore can't we get 1 present arsenic well?" she said.