'There's still two camps': Zipper merge divides Winnipeg drivers
Spring is here, which means road work is once again ramping up in Winnipeg. But with the onset of construction season comes a renewed discussion about a controversial traffic management strategy.
Zipper merging is not a new thing in Winnipeg, having been first introduced as a pilot project in 2015. St. Boniface councillor Matt Allard has been championing the concept ever since, but he said it's been an uphill battle.
“There’s still two camps of those who think we shouldn’t do and those who think we should do it," said Allard. "But when you look at it from a traffic flow perspective, it really is a no cost way of moving traffic.”
In a zipper merge, drivers should continue travelling in their lane until they approach a lane closure. At the barricade, drivers are expected to take turns, one-by-one, proceeding through the construction zone.
Allard said zipper merging reduces traffic congestion and wait times. “If Winnipeggers adopt it, culturally, if we all decide to zipper merge together, it’ll improve traffic flow."
It's a sentiment echoed by Bronwyn Smith, walking by the construction zone at the St. Vital Bridge, “I like zipper merges when they work, like when everyone takes turns and is cooperative. But if no one’s cooperative and it doesn’t work, it’s just a nightmare. It’s just a mess,” she said.
“It’s way more efficient and it’s just the right thing to do,” said Ralph, who was walking through South Osborne on Friday afternoon. “And if everybody does it properly, it does work.”
Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) said in an email to CTV News that a common misconception about zipper merging is that all vehicles should be in the lane that isn’t closed. This is not the case, and just leads to traffic backing up at an even greater distance.
MPI added that drivers who are changing lanes must signal their intention, and once you merge, consider giving a wave to the driver behind you.
The City of Winnipeg said zipper merge signage is typically found in construction zones with higher posted speed limits, and where work is expected to take more than a few days.
However, the city does encourage motorists to zipper merge at any location where a lane is closed.
“It’s just a little bit of common sense,” Ralph said. “Be courteous to the next person and if everybody does that, it’s not a big deal.”
The St. Vital bridge rehabilitation project is currently the only construction zone in Winnipeg with zipper merge signage in place. The city said starting next week, a project on northbound Oak Point Highway will have them as well.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.