The 2016 Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure’s traffic volume map, released on Monday, shows the amount of activity found on southeast Saskatchewan highways.
Of particular interest for local residents will be that this year’s map marks the first time that data from the truck bypass north of the city was included in the map. The bypass opened in November 2015, several months after the 2015 data was collected.
The stretch of the bypass between Highway 47 and Kensington Avenue appears to be the busiest, with 1,330 vehicles per day. There were 1,180 vehicles per day east of Kensington Avenue, and 1,220 vehicles at the east junction of Highway 39 and the bypass.
An average of 970 vehicles per day used the bypass west of the junction of Highway 47 and the bypass, and 870 vehicles each day were at the west junction of the bypass and Highway 39.
As for other highways in the area, there were 5,980 vehicles per day on Highway 39 east of the city limits – an area that is currently under construction for highway twinning. That number dropped to 5,220 vehicles per day east of the junction of Highway 39 and the truck bypass.
Both numbers are down from the 7,630 and 6,040 vehicles per day, respectively, seen in 2015.
As for Highway 39 west of the city, the bypass had a significant impact on vehicle numbers, as there were 2,990 vehicles per day at the Highway 39 west entrance, down from 4,520 seen in 2015. But the 4,020 vehicles each day west of the junction of Highway 39 and the bypass was up from 3,840 two years ago.
On the north end of the city, there were 3,200 vehicles per day on Highway 47 at the city limits, up from 3,050 in 2015, and 2,830 vehicles per day on Highway 47 north of the junction with the bypass, down 50 from 2,880 seen two years ago.
South of town, there were 1,780 vehicles per day on Highway 47 at the city limits, which was the same as 2015.
Highway 18 west of the city had 2,000 vehicles per day at the city limits, and 980 vehicles each day west of the Boundary Dam access road. The figures for 2015 were 2,240 vehicles each day at the west city limits and 980 per day west of the Boundary Dam road.
Traffic was down on Highway 39 between Estevan and Weyburn. In 2016 it ranged from 3,189 vehicles each day near Estevan and 4,360 vehicles a day near Weyburn, to 2,570 vehicles a day near Midale.
In 2015, there were 3,840 vehicles a day northwest of Estevan, 5,330 vehicles each day southeast of Weyburn, and around 3,160 vehicles a day around Midale.
The future of Highways 39 and 6 from Estevan to Regina has been the subject of much speculation once again this year, after the provincial government announced passing lanes, and not twinning, were in the future for Highways 39 and 6 from Estevan to Regina.
Also, Highway 39 had 1,000 vehicles per day near the Canada-U.S. border at North Portal, easily the busiest stretch of highway close to an international border crossing.
The ministry tabulates the traffic numbers through multiple counts during the year, and then averages out the numbers.
