The junction turn onto Highway 18 will be at a right angle and about 200 metres west of the current Highway 39 and Highway 18 junction, said Saskatchewan Highways and Infrastructure officials attending an open house event in the leisure centre in Estevan on May 26.
The safer junction redesign is part of the overall plan to build two more lanes on a 9 km stretch of Highway 39 into Estevan that has seen a huge increase in traffic volume over the past several years.
With up to 50 per cent of the total costs to be covered through the federal government’s Canada Builds program, the designers and engineers wrapped up their pre-build work just recently with the expectations of having the contract tendered out and awarded this month, said Matthew Stephenson, project manager for Highways and Infrastructure.
“There are no other time lines set, but we’re planning on protecting the land base that has been identified for the project,” he said. “I expect the actual construction work on this segment will begin in the latter part of this construction season (fall). If we get co-operation from the weather, the project could be completed by the fall of 2016.”
A new set of lanes is not overly problematic for this stretch, because much of the land required is more easily accessed without many home or landowners being involved since the property is mostly near coal mining operations.
An existing overpass to accommodate the mining business is part of the expansion plan.
The junction change on the approach to the town of Bienfait on Highway 18, will be done for safety reasons, said Highways and Infrastructure communications officer, Joel Cherry. “It’s best to build at 90 degree angles and go straight rather than deal with a curving structure.”
Cherry added the larger part of the ambitious project that will see Highway 39 from Estevan to Regina twinned over the next few years, is well along in the planning stages. There was $1.2 million allocated to this planning in the March (provincial) budget,” said Cherry.
A third phase, an approximate 20 km stretch to link the international border crossing community of North Portal to the four-lane configuration near Bienfait, is expected to be completed shortly after the Estevan to Regina link is nearly finished.
Cherry said information about the project is posted on the Highways website and can be accessed by using the open house icon.
Those attending the open house were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their thoughts on the proposed plans and the routing of the two additional lanes and access to the communities that are situated near or right alongside the proposed path.
