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Councillor worried about election day traffic near fatal crash site

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WINNIPEG -

A Winnipeg city councillor is raising traffic safety concerns on the South Perimeter Highway ahead of election day.

On Friday, a 51-year-old Winnipeg man died after crashing his pickup truck into the back of a semi on the South Perimeter Highway near St. Anne’s Road. Councillor Markus Chambers said the victim was a South St. Vital resident.

“My heart goes out to the family of the individual lost this weekend,” Chambers told CTV News on Saturday night.

Chambers said the South Perimeter stretch has a history of collisions and that residents are concerned about increased traffic volumes on Monday.

Maple Grove Park is serving as a polling station in the South Winnipeg riding in the election. Frobisher Road, the park’s primary access, is on St. Mary’s Road near the Perimeter.

“The intersections are problematic,” Chambers said. “We need to move forward with increased safety.”

Chambers said he wants the city and Winnipeg Police Service to address immediate concerns for Monday. He suggested having members of the Cadets in place to monitor traffic flows.

He’s urging residents to be cautious when driving or walking to the polls on Monday, especially at Maple Grove Park.

“Just be mindful as you’re accessing that area,” Chambers said. “Be vigilant and watch you’re not getting into a situation.”

Chambers’s concerns about the area, however, extend past election day.

He acknowledges there are upgrades in the works on the South Perimeter Highway, namely interchanges at St. Mary’s Road and St. Anne’s Road, but Chambers said the St. Anne’s project won’t be completed for at least a decade.

Chambers said more upgrades are needed in the area to improve safety and reduce travel times, adding the city and province need to work together to make necessary improvements.

“There needs to be better consultation and coordination with our traffic engineers to come up with a plan to expedite the twinning of St. Anne’s, as well as the interchange at St. Anne’s and the Perimeter.”

CTV News has reached out to the province for a statement.

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