It’s another sign the new truck bypass north of Estevan is nearing completion: the asphalt component has been completed.
Now it’s a matter of applying the finishing touches to a route that many in the Energy City have been eagerly anticipating for years. The bypass is expected to be finished before the end of October, unless there are major weather events during the next month.
Sonja Orban, who works in the communications department with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure, said the asphalt work was finished during this past weekend.
“The construction is progressing well this season,” Orban told the Mercury in an interview Monday afternoon. “This season has been a very good season for us. There has been minimal precipitation, and we’ve been able to get the work done on time.”
The weather this year has been a stark contrast from last year, when there was a lot of rain, which delayed construction on the bypass. The grading was supposed to be finished in 2014, but it had to wait for this spring before it could be completed.
“There have been no delays this year,” said Orban.
Some work still remains before the truck bypass is finished. Crews still need to paint traffic lines, install signs, and add signage at the railway crossing near the west access point. There is also some lingering clean-up work
that remains.
Crews have also been working on the bypass’ east and west access points with Highway 39, and the junction between the bypass and Highway 47 north of Estevan. Those components of the project have also enjoyed good progress in the last few months.
The new truck bypass has been a much-discussed project in Estevan for many years, with many public meetings and open houses taking place to discuss the design and location of the project. The federal government stepped forward with money in 2009.
But there have also been delays. Once the location was set for north of the city, problems arose over the west access point, which had to be relocated several hundred metres further west than originally anticipated.
There were also delays caused when affected land owners thought they were receiving lowball offers from the Ministry of Highways for their land. The ministry eventually came forward with more lucrative offers, which some people accepted, but expropriation was needed for other individuals.
