Photo credit: Ministry of Highways

Saskatchewan is implementing its first Reduced Collision U-Turn at the intersection of Highway 16 and the Dalmeny Access Road.

In 2018, the Ministry of Highways conducted a safety review on this intersection and concluded that improvements needed to be made as several serious incidents had happened there.

David Horth with the Ministry of Highways says the intersection used to be a two-way stop-controlled crossing, where drivers had to cross four lanes of fast traffic to make a left hand turn.
Instead of navigating two flows of traffic when turning left, the RCUT allows drivers to focus on one direction of traffic at a time, improving their safety.

Drivers will be forced to make a right hand turn onto Highway 16, and when the median opens up, a U-turn is permitted to start heading the other way. Acceleration and deceleration lanes will be added in order for safe U-turns to be carried out.

He says this model will limit the opportunity for severe broadside or ‘T-bone’ crashes to occur. Horth adds that vehicles of any size can use the RCUT, including semi trucks.