By Alex Coop
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The commercial heavy-truck bypass near Estevan is behind schedule by about a month.
According to Joel Cherry, communications consultant with the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure, the severe wet weather that has blanketed the southern part of the province over the past several weeks has forced grading to slip three to four weeks behind scheduled completion. Grading is now expected to be delayed until late September.
When it comes to the overall progress of the bypass, nearly half of the earth has been moved and placed for the construction of the roadbed. The contractor has been working in areas that are less wet, and is continuing with the installation of culverts, explained Cherry. All utilities are almost relocated or lowered accordingly.
The Mercury reported in late June that the The Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure will be monitoring the traffic flow along Highway 39 west and east of Estevan or from Highway 47, to determine how interchanges may be introduced onto the bypass. The interchanges will be implemented to improve traffic flow when volumes on the route increase.
"Really, at this stage, anything is on the table in terms of how we go forward and where we go from here. It's all going to be based on the traffic volumes as they grow. It will be dependent on the traffic volumes, how the community grows, that type of thing," said Mark Rathwell, who spoke with the Mercury on June 25.
