When you live in an area that has 4 seasons, not only is summer the time for beaches and baseball, it’s also the time for road construction work. This year, the City of Saskatoon has budgeted over $61-million for the streets, bridges and sidewalks.
City spokesperson, Matt Jurkiewicz (jerk ah witz) says, “With so many active projects underway, we know navigating around Saskatoon can be inconvenient”. The short construction season is planned to lessen the impacts as much as possible, but the traffic delays can’t be completely avoided.
Some of the completed work includes the interchanges at Boychuk Drive and Highway 16, and McOrmond Drive and College Drive, resurfacing Circle Drive from Millar Avenue to the Circle Drive North Bridge and sections or Taylor Street, Boychuk Drive and Kenderdine Road.
Phase 1 of the Senator Sid Buckwold Bridge rehabilitation project is about half done and is expected to be complete by October. Next year, Phase 2 begins with the lanes heading into downtown to be closed.
Other work:
Water main/connection replacements will improve water service for 387 properties in City Park (2018-2020) and Riversdale (2019-2020). City Park remains on schedule and Riversdale is ahead of schedule. Completion of the current phases is anticipated in early fall.
Other water main replacement locations include 14th Street East and Bates Crescent, Acadia Drive between Leddy Crescent and Harrington Street, and 12th Street East between Broadway Avenue and Eastlake Avenue.
The twinning of Wanuskewin Road north of 71st Street is scheduled for completion in October.
Upcoming road construction: resurfacing the westbound lanes on College Drive from the city limits to the Canadian Pacific Rail overpass, resurfacing Idylwyld Drive northbound lanes from 25th Street to 31st Street, and resurfacing Preston Avenue northbound lanes from Taylor Street to 8th Street.
Road and sidewalk maintenance: spring street sweeping was completed through all neighbourhoods in 7 weeks, back lane grading started in July and runs through to October, and sidewalk, pothole and utility cut repairs occur daily across the entire city.
