The Manitoba government has released a new report that reflects the perspective of more than 350 Manitobans who participated in a consultation to make safety improvements on Provincial Trunk Highway (PTH) 52 in Mitchell, Manitoba.
“Public feedback will be used to improve the design options to meet the needs of the community of Mitchell,” said Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler. “Our government is committed to continuously improving safety on Manitoba’s roads and this consultation allows us to explore options for improved safety for both drivers and pedestrians.”
The community of Mitchell has experienced a growth in population, leading to an increase in traffic volumes. As a result, demand for vehicles to enter PTH 52 and pedestrians to cross PTH 52 have ensued. The existing infrastructure no longer meets the needs of its users and requires safer upgrades to support increased volumes of movement.
Consultations were held online through EngageMB from Sept. 14 to 28. More than 92 per cent of respondents were either residents, business owners or landowners in the study area.
Several key themes identified in the feedback included:
- speed concerns,
- concerns regarding traffic patterns on local streets,
- the importance of Ash Street in the community,
- safety, and
- the requirement for land acquisition.
The minister noted the province would be in discussions with the Rural Municipality (RM) of Hanover on how design options could be modified to incorporate the feedback collected in the survey. The modified options would then be shared with stakeholders, including the RM of Hanover, to discuss long-term development plans and potential impacts to local landowners.
