Released on November 23, 2015
Work is underway on Saskatchewan’s first free-flow overpass at the junction of the new Regina Bypass and Victoria Avenue East near the city limits.“This innovative overpass design will allow cars and trucks to continue on their journey at highway speeds without stopping, slowing down or having to travel down Victoria Avenue,” Highways and Infrastructure Minister Nancy Heppner said. “This overpass will dramatically improve safety and save people time and fuel as they travel around Regina.”
The design allows people to maintain highway speed as they travel from Highway 1 east of Regina to Highway 1 west of the city. This is the first overpass in Saskatchewan that allows drivers to maintain their speed when making highway-to-highway connections.
“It’s challenging for truck drivers and motorists in general when a fully-loaded semi with multiple trailers has to make the left turn from Victoria Avenue to the Ring Road,” DJ Knoll Transport Ltd. Class 1A and 3A Supervising Instructor David Roy said. “Having an interchange that lets all traffic, including large trucks, continue on the bypass instead of coming to a full stop makes our jobs easier, dramatically reduces the cost of shipping goods and improves safety for everyone.”
When complete, the Regina Bypass will include 60 km of four-lane highway, 12 overpasses and numerous service roads. The segment from Balgonie to Highway 33 will be open to traffic in late 2017 and the rest of the project will be complete in fall 2019.
The Government of Saskatchewan has invested a record $5.2 billion in transportation infrastructure since 2008.
More than 4.3 million metric tonnes of raw material will be used in the construction of the Victoria Avenue interchange, equivalent to 13 times the weight of the Empire State Building.
This includes approximately:
- 3.0 million metric tonnes of clay fill;
- 1.0 million metric tonnes of road gravel;
- 300,000 metric tonnes of asphalt pavement;
- 2,500 metric tonnes of steel girders;
- 2,000 metric tonnes of concrete girders; and
- 1,500 metric tonnes of rebar.
To view a video of the Regina Bypass Digital Flyover - Victoria Avenue Overpass, please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSRr-A3QtX4&feature=youtu.be.
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For more information, contact:
Doug Wakabayashi
Highways and Infrastructure
Regina
Phone: 306-787-6815
Email: doug.wakabayashi@gov.sk.ca