After falling behind schedule, the construction pace has picked up in an effort to complete the heavy-truck bypass around Estevan on time.
Earlier in the fall the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure prepared area residents for a longer wait for the completion date of the bypass, which was expected to be open for business late next year. They had reported being about two months behind on the construction, but recently gave notice that work has caught back up and everything is on pace for a scheduled finish next fall.
Speaking to ministry officials last week, the Mercury learned the grading work along the 19-kilometre route was about 95 per cent completed.
Mark Rathwell, senior communications consultant with the Ministry, noted that when it comes to outdoor construction work, the timelines are liable to change based on weather. If a particularly wet spring is in our future, there’s a good chance construction would be slowed or held up, and there’s no way to known prior to those events how it may impact the completion date for the project.
But if conditions are good, the heavy-truck bypass, which Estevan has been waiting for for a number of decades should be accessible in 2015, saving the roadways within the city from further harm that results from having heavy truck traffic inside city limits.
Over the winter, the construction teams will complete aggregate hauling, something Rathwell said is easier in the winter because heavier loads are allowed on many roads.
“We spend the winter hauling aggregate and all those materials we use in paving so that they’re staged when the spring hits and we’re ready to go to work.
“We’re looking at the paving to begin in the spring,” said Rathwell, who cautioned, “as always in Saskatchewan, that’s weather dependent and weather permitting.”
The paving is expected to take most of the summer and into the fall to complete
Rathwell noted that in projects of this size there is always a “time contingency” built in.
“We’ve hit a few years now of demonstrated wet weather that has been impacting projects and their timelines,” he said. “But our timelines are still on the positive side of getting things done.”
When the spring does arrive, there may be some surfacing work required prior to the pavement being put down.
Once that happens, Estevan and area residents’ attention will likely turn to the next major road project, the twinning of Highway 39.
