(Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Highway safety

Shellbrook supports call for Highway 3 twinning

Feb 2, 2021 | 4:10 PM

Citing the need to address increased traffic volumes, created by a proposed forestry manufacturing production facility north of Prince Albert, the Town of Shellbrook is adding its voice to a renewed call to twin Highway 3 west of Prince Albert.

Council members decided Monday to have a letter sent to the Ministry of Highways, requesting a previous seven kilometre twining proposal by the Rural Municipality (RM) of Buckland be expanded upon. Mayor Amund Otterson told paNOW it’s a widely used corridor for commuters.

“We have people from Prince Albert who work here in health care and education and vice-versa. We have many residents travelling towards Prince Albert every day,” he said.

Shellbrook Town Coun. David Knight is part of the team involved in the proposed manufacturing facility and told paNOW the facility will generate a lot of extra traffic on Highway 3, coming from other centres such as Meadow Lake and Big River.

“It could be as high as 50 loads a day return so a 100 loads a day for let’s say in the worst case scenario 365 days a year,” Knight said, adding the critical junction will be the corner of Highways 3 and 55 at Shellbrook.

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In addition to the manufacturing facility, Knight said there are other capital projects planned in his own home community.

“What we want to make sure is that increase in traffic is in the plan the Ministry of Highways is working on,” he said.

Prince Albert Mayor supports highway twinning in phases

Citing the need to address some safety concerns, specifically a high number of fatal crashes, the reeve for the Rural Municipality (R.M.) of Buckland wrote a letter last week to the provincial Minister of Highways, requesting a section of Highway 3, west of Prince Albert to McLeod Road be twinned. While the ministry has already committed to installing three passing lanes, Don Fyrk argued more needs to be done.

Prince Albert Mayor Greg Dionne agreed and told paNOW he supports the idea of a highway twinning to the Shell River.

“If you look at the majority of accidents, the serious accidents on the highway, they are from the City of Prince Albert to the Shell River,” he said.

According to statistics provided by Fyrk last week, there has been 414 collisions on Highway 3 between Prince Albert and Shellbrook in the last decade. From those, 67 have resulted in some form of personal injury and there has been five fatalities including the three lives lost just before Christmas.

In response to the Town of Shellbrook’s request, Dionne said he thought it was a good idea but not needed at this time to address the immediate safety concerns.

“To me I am worried about all the local traffic that drives in from the Peter Pond area for work. If you sit on that highway early in the morning around five o’clock you’ll see the traffic,” he said.

According to a statement last week from the Ministry of Highways, a detailed safety assessment will be conducted this year on the section of Highway 3 between Prince Albert and the Shell River Bridge.

“Any work identified through this safety assessment is expected to be tendered this fall, with construction anticipated the following year. The assessment will look at all options for safety improvements in the area, including twinning,” the statement said.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell