Province rules out traffic lights on Highway 1 near Pilot Butte

The province has ruled out traffic lights along a stretch of highway east of Regina where two people were killed in a crash on Wednesday.

Twovehicles collided at the intersection of Highway 1and Highway624 East near Pilot Butte.

• Poll: How to make Highway 1 east of Regina safer

Joel Cherry, spokesperson for the ministry of highways and infrastructure, said several measures have already been put in place, but lights were ruled out.

Cherry said the province hascommissioned studies over the years, including an engineering study in 2011, to look at potentiallyputting traffic signals on thestretch of road.

"In all cases the studies have recommended that would not be a good option," he said.'In part that's becauseit's a high speed corridor, and when you have trafficstarting and stopping that way it could actually increase the number of collisions in the form of rear enders."

Other measures put in place, overpasses coming

Over the past four years several other measures were put in placeincluding:

• Exit ramps off of Highway 1 and onto Highways 46 and 48.
• Improved lighting, including at theoverpass at Highway 10 at Balgonie.
• Increased signagewarning it's a high collision location.
• Reducing thespeed limit from 110km/h to 90km/h and bringinginautomated speed enforcement.

Cherry added the speed limit has also been reduced on Highway 12 north of Saskatoon, another high volume stretch that carries commuters from bedroom communities to the city.

In the next four years, drivers will also seea series of overpasses east of Regina. The engineering work starts soon, but the entire project won't be done until 2019.

Overpasses will be built atTowerRoad, the Pilot Butte access,Highway 48 andHighway 46.