A young man who died on the South Perimeter Highway last year is being recognized by the province with a new asphalt service road between Waverley Street and Brady Road.
Construction began Wednesday on Ethan Boyer Way, named in honour of the 19-year-old who died there in a tragic accident in October.
Boyer was killed when his car was struck from behind by a semi, which forced it into another large truck.
When the project is finished — it’s expected by November — the road will divert traffic turning across the Perimeter Highway through the controlled Waverley intersection.
Susan Zuk-Boyer, the victim’s mother, told 680 CJOB she’s still angry about what happened, but is happy the province is making some changes to prevent a similar accident in the future.
“In my lifetime, there probably won’t be any overpasses there,” she said.
“The adding of the service road and getting that done is a plus, and they’re going to stop all of the traffic going across the Perimeter, which is a huge problem. That was what caused Ethan’s accident — someone going across the highway.”
Ethan’s father, Dana Boyer, said that he still sees drivers with no respect on the road today, and that hopes this development is the beginning of a safer highway.
“Even if it slows down one or two trucks, that could be the difference. That’s all it would have had to take for the driver that rear-ended Ethan,” he said.
“If they see the name and think, ‘You know what, that kid died — maybe I don’t need to be there in 17 minutes and 30 seconds. Maybe I can be there in 18 minutes and 35 seconds.’
“That’s all you’re saving. We all end up at the same light.”
Manitoba infrastructure minister Ron Schuler held a press conference Wednesday at the site of Boyer’s accident and said it was long overdue that the intersection be improved.
“Our government committed to addressing the significant safety concerns at Brady Road and the South Perimeter Highway,” Schuler said.
“The new service road will greatly improve traffic safety and flow for thousands of drivers who pass through the area on the South Perimeter and hundreds who use the South Perimeter to access the Brady Road Landfill daily.”
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