Released on April 9, 2009
Provincial highway maintenance crews and contractors are gearing up for repairs and maintenance on provincial highways, bridges and culverts.
"During the spring potholes and surface breaks are common on provincial highways, and some highways, bridges and culverts can be severely damaged in areas where higher than normal spring runoff is experienced," Highways and Infrastructure Minister Wayne Elhard said. "To get highways repaired as quickly as possible, the province has provided a record $224 million for maintenance and preservation, which is a ten per cent increase over last year."
The province will also spend $35 million on culvert and bridge structures in the coming construction season.
The Ministry's strategy to deal with spring conditions and highway damage includes:
- Using data from the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority to identify high run-off areas which are more at risk;
- Conducting aggressive surveillance for trouble spots that enables crews to quickly provide warning to motorists and provide short term repairs. This includes using the Highway Hotline as a centralized point of contact for the general public and municipalities to report trouble spots;
- Clearing culverts, bridges and other drainage structures so they can handle runoff at their design capacity;
- Calling back seasonal staff early where necessary; and
- Performing temporary repairs and marking hazards until long-term repairs can be made.
When surface breaks occur in the spring, highway crews flag the hazard and do an assessment of what kind of repair is needed. The crew may apply gravel material or blade on asphalt patching material as a temporary repair, but these types of repairs will not fix the problem. Maintenance crews must wait until the road bed dries before performing long-term repairs.
"Highway repairs are only temporary when the road bed is still wet," Elhard said. "As soon as roadbeds dry out, permanent repairs on highways will be made."
Highway crews will prioritize their work by highway classification, and repairs on the most heavily-travelled highways will be scheduled first.
Motorists are reminded to slow to 60 km/h in the construction Orange Zone when passing highway workers and equipment, for their own safety and the safety of highway workers. Motorists who are caught speeding in the Orange Zone will face a minimum fine of $140.
For more information on spring maintenance plans, safety in the Orange Zone or upcoming highway construction, go to www.highways.gov.sk.ca.
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For more information, contact:
Kirsten Leatherdale
Highways and Infrastructure
Regina
Phone: 306-787-8484
Cell: 306-536-9692