Safety upgrades almost done at intersection
NIPAWIN Work continues on changes to the highway intersection where 16 people died in the tragic April 2018 crash involving the Humboldt Broncos team bus.
The expectation is that crews will wrap up by the end of October, weather permitting, Ministry of Highways spokesman Steve Shaheen said Wednesday.
A safety review released in December 2018 recommended 13 changes to make the intersection safer. Some of the improvements were done earlier this year, including placement of stop signs and the removal of trees on private property that obstructed the view of drivers heading in the same directions as the bus and semi involved in the crash.
When the intersection project is completed, 12 of the 13 recommendations will be implemented; the only outstanding item will be changing overhead power lines.
Crews are working on rumble strips, shoulder widening and access to the new roadside memorial site, Shaheen said. He did not confirm the exact location of a future memorial site, but said work is proceeding around an existing memorial that was created by people visiting the site in the hours, days and months after the crash.
“Those are discussions we’re having with the families, about the best way to do that and the best way of creating safe access for everyone,” Shaheen said.
The RM of Connaught retains ownership of the land where the memorial sits. There are no current discussions to change that.
“As far as a permanent memorial site, we were told that would come from the Broncos and we haven’t had any correspondence from them,” said RM administrator Jamie Orr.
Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, the driver of the semi-trailer unit involved in the crash with the Broncos bus as the team was on its way to Nipawin for an SJHL playoff game on April 6, 2018, pleaded guilty in January to 16 counts of dangerous driving causing death and 13 counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm. Court heard during sentencing arguments that Sidhu missed four highway-related signs leading up to the stop sign at the intersection where the crash took place.
Sidhu was sentenced to eight years in prison.