Firefighters east of Regina still concerned about new bypass

Not all first responders east of Regina are happy about thenew bypass.

Earlier this week, the fire chief in White City said he was "ecstatic" because his department has been responding to fewer collisions since the overpasses were built.

InBalgonie, where Jesse Edwards is a volunteer firefighter, it's a different story.

Edwards came to the legislature Thursday to ask the government again to allow westbound traffic to make right turnsoff Highway 1into town, and right turns out of town onto the same highwayheading west.

Edwards says without that option, routes out of town arelimited.

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"For example if a train derails, which several trains have derailed in the last month or so, we're basically bottlenecked to one way, more or less, out of town," Edwards said.

"Given a community of people trying to get out in a mean hurry there's going to be accidents and confusion ... and it could cost lives."

The government has said not allowing traffic to turn directly off the highwayinto town is a safety issue.

Ministry of Highways spokesperson Doug Wakabayashi said in the 12 years before the bypass was built, there were 13 crashes and two fatalities at the intersection.

Edwards said none of those involved people turning right onto or off Highway 1, but rather vehicles that crossed lanes of traffic.

Thegovernment had initially suggested first responders drive east in the westbound lanes of Highway 1 for 400 metres before turning around.

Driving the wrong way on the Trans-Canada highway is a suggestion Edwards finds ridiculous. Highways spokespersonDoug Wakabayashi said theidea could have worked.

"Traffic control on busy highways is something that's done by first responders in emergency situations routinely," he said.

However, he acknowledged it is a moot point now that the community has rejected the idea.

The government is now preparing to installa gate which first responders can unlock to get out of town and onto Highway 1 in an emergency.

"We are putting an emergency access almost right at the school," said Highways Minister David Marit.

"It's going to have armed gates ... which the emergency response team will have full access to. They'll have the controls."

Edwards is not a fan of that idea, either.

"If it was made by man, it was made to fail," said Edwards.

"If we have to open the gate and it doesn't open, what are we going to do?"

Marit said the gate will not fail.