Woman launches petition pleading for upgrades to Highway 41

A woman living just outside Aberdeen has launched a petition calling on the province to build passing lanes on Highway 41.

Highway 41 was the site of a deadly crash on Sunday which killed a family of four after their car collided with a semi.

Jodi Levy said it’s not the first time something like this has happened on that particular road.

“I live right off Highway 41. I drive this highway numerous times a day and go to the city and play sports in the city. I’ve had a ton of close calls myself. I’ve had to pull over to the shoulder numerous times,” Levy explained.

Levy said her husband has seen crashes take place on the road in the past.

According to SGI, there have been 778 collisions on the stretch of Highway 41 between Saskatoon and Melfort between 2013 and last year. Those collisions resulted in 167 injuries and 13 deaths – and six of those 13 deaths occurred between 2020 and 2021. The year 2020 alone saw five people killed on that highway.

According to Levy, traffic on the highway has become worse as Highway 5 undergoes construction. That means more semis on the road, she said.

“There’s a lot of traffic and I find people are in a rush. There’s not really any ample room to pass on this highway,” she explained. “People get frustrated and kind of take chances when they shouldn’t. It’s a problem and needs to be addressed.”

Aberdeen Mayor Ryan White echoed Levy’s comments.

“I’ve seen (close calls) many times coming back home or driving to the city. People are in a hurry and they’re passing when it’s not safe,” the mayor said.

“It would be great if we knew in 10 kilometres or five kilometres you could have some passing lanes without driving into oncoming traffic.”

White said passing lanes would improve safety on that stretch of highway.

“There’s no simple solution or inexpensive solution other than to put in some passing lanes and give people that information so they aren’t getting antsy,” he said.

With the town’s population continuing to grow, along with the population of the surrounding area, White said improved safety on the highway is something his council will lobby for.

But he said he doesn’t know what the response will be from the province.

“I don’t know if there will be the political appetite for it but, unfortunately, these accidents are going to keep happening with no real safe place to pass safely,” White stated.

Levy added one of her three children will be getting their driver’s licence in the near future, but she said she worries about them driving on Highway 41.

“Knowing they’re (going to be) on that highway, it keeps me up at night, that’s for sure,” she said.