BETTER ROADS, BUILT TO LAST

For Immediate Release: June 5, 2014
                                             

Today the City of Saskatoon highlighted steps it is taking to build better roads and ensure this season’s patching, resurfacing and paving efforts last over a longer term. 

“With the road construction season now underway, it’s important for people to know that we’re not just building better roads.  The new funding for road rehabilitation will extend the life of our roadways and residential streets,” says Mike Gutek, Director of Major Projects at the City of Saskatoon. “We are resurfacing 178 lane kilometres of road this summer and drivers will start to see a big improvement over the next few years as funding levels increase.”

Measuring the time a road will be used from the beginning to the end of its life (known as a “lifecycle”) helps to determine the type and frequency of preservation treatments the roadway will require to maximize its life, rather than just building it and using it until it wears out. This lifecycle assessment balances the life of materials with the most effective preservation treatments.

“Treating roadways during their lifecycle is key to protecting our investment,” Gutek explains. “We want to catch a road before it fails, creating a network of better roads, in better condition, for a longer period of time.  The concept is essentially the same as maintaining your house; you replace your shingles before the roof leaks and you plan to paint your siding before it deteriorates and starts peeling.”

As road construction proceeds this year, new design features such as drainage layers to protect roads from moisture damage are being introduced.

The City will also introduce a new Roadway Preservation Funding plan to address road conditions earlier in their lifecycle, using the latest preservation techniques and treatments that are the most time and cost-effective.

 “With a properly funded rehabilitation program, we can move past temporary fixes and get to the root of the problem,” says Gutek. “Our proactive approach this year will result in better roads today and tomorrow.”

Saskatoon’s most aggressive program of road construction, maintenance and rehabilitation ever is now underway with over $50 million targeted to projects ranging from major roadwork to residential streets and sidewalks. Almost half ($23.4M) of this budget is dedicated to improving our road network.  This is an increase in funding of 79 per cent dedicated to road preservation compared to $13.06 million in 2013, allowing us to apply treatments to 178 lane kilometres, versus 78 lane kilometres in 2013, which is about the same distance as from Saskatoon to Kindersley.

Residents can view a list of the City’s 2014 construction projects at saskatoon.ca by clicking “Building Better Roads”.