Will the now colossal Regina bypass project create a negative impact on the provincial Ministry of Highway’s intention of twinning Highways 39 and 6 (south)?
The fact these two major construction events are rolling out in tandem with a similar time line, gives us pause.
Forgetting for awhile the huge $800 to $900 million underestimation of the Regina project, we believe at this point, the Highways Ministry will soon be overwhelmed on the construction-side even with a whole host of subcontracted
consultants and contracted companies currently being available for the start of what will inevitably be five to seven year projects.
Yes, the private, public, partnership (P3) models supposedly take the financial pressure off the ministry, but Saskatchewan taxpayers will inevitably be footing the $1.9 billion bill for the Regina bypass as well as the yet-to-be-determined
cost of building and paving 240 kms (or more) of two additional lanes on Highway 39 and 6. And if we are to believe highways officials, these two events will be happening in near concert to one another.
Does this mean Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Highways now advances to the big leagues of urban/rural transportation and construction? Or, is this going to be a case of them attempting to hit well above their regular batting average without
the advantage of additional batting practice or coaching?
Will the demands of the Regina bypass project, which we assume, at this stage, is taking precedent over any other suggested program, lead to a delay in planning and construction of the Highway 39 and 6 twinning?
We fear it may.
We also fear the financial factors, P3 or no P3.
We also express some uneasiness with the emerging gross underestimation of costs associated with the bypass construction plan with those costs nearly doubling overnight.
The way it stands right now, the Regina bypass should be one wonderful and magnificent piece of work once it’s completed around 2019. We also predict that when the inevitable weaknesses and fault lines are uncovered, it will be the
provincial taxpayers who will be expected to ride in to save the day, and not the contractor(s) or subcontractors who will probably have bought and sold their companies and the corresponding contractual obligations several times over
within the next 15 to 20 years. Rather than get entangled in legal squabbles that will gobble up time and money, we predict the Regina bypass trouble spots will be refurbished by direct taxpayer contributions, as will the Highway 39 and 6
project down the road, no matter what contractual model is used.
But, as long as we are prepared to face those inevitabilities, a decade or more from now, we say with a degree of enthusiasm, let’s get moving.
There can be no turning back now. Saskatchewan is on a positive-growth pattern as witnessed by the fact we haven’t lost a huge portion of our population due to the downturn in the oil industry, as we have in the past. We have citizens
who are committed to the province, not just visiting for a year or two.
We have to show them we are willing to commit to them, as well as to the long-time citizens, with meaningful infrastructure on the provincial, as well as the civic side.
