Since the arrival of Tim Hortons and Shell, the amount of traffic at the corner of Krahn Road and Highway 311 has skyrocketed. The good news is that new turning lanes are being added to the intersection this spring.
According to Niverville mayor Myron Dyck, responsibility for the turning lanes will fall to Sunset Estates as part of its development agreement with the town. Sunset Estates is the developer of The Highlands and Old Drover’s Run.
“Just like installing water and sewer, this intersection improvement is part of the developer’s cost,” says Dyck.
Len Peters, Vice President of Sunset Estates, says that the development agreement called for a certain number of units to be occupied in The Highlands before a turning lane was built. That number has since been reached.
The upgrades will include a left-hand turning lane for people traveling west, and a right-hand turning lane for people traveling east. Peters notes that traffic will flow much more smoothly when the upgrades are complete.
According to Peters, construction is slated to begin in mid-May and be finished by mid-June, weather-permitting.
In addition to the current upgrades, the Town of Niverville is consulting with Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation about solutions for several high-traffic intersections in town along Highway 311.
“Note that the study that the town is paying for will include [the Krahn Road] intersection and may have additional items, such as lights, that may be recommended to council,” says Dyck. “The cost of [future] intersection upgrades and how that will be shared is not known at this time.”