Improvements to the intersection of Highway 12 and Loewen Boulevard are one small step from becoming reality.
Steinbach City Council gave first reading to a by-law that would allow them to widen Loewen when construction time rolls around. "Council has identified that intersection needing to be upgraded," notes Mayor Chris Goertzen, "so there are additional turning lanes, that it can be more efficient and safe. So this widening of the road is important for the future of that long-term plan."
Phil Kalyta, the city's head engineer, says the intersection of Highway 12 and Loewen Boulevard is a busy one and adds it's one they have been looking at for some time. "We’ve got that on a target to improve that and we’re planning on doing those improvements to the intersection at the same time that we do re-construction of Loewen Boulevard between Highway 12 and Highway 52 and that’s scheduled for the year 2021."
Kalyta says in order to do the improvements at that intersection, it requires some widening. He notes the developer of the former Husky fuel station site has worked into their design, the land the city requires for that intersection.