BUILDING BETTER ROADS – SASKATOON’S ROAD PLAN 2015

The City has launched the Building Better Roads plan for 2015. This is the second year of a three year strategy to dramatically improve the condition, safety and longevity of Saskatoon’s road network.

“Despite the significant gains we made in 2014, we recognize that more work is required to ensure that our public infrastructure meets the needs of residents,” says Angela Gardiner, Acting General Manager of Transportation and Utilities. “We are heading into another busy season of road work that will rival 2014 in terms of the number of work zones and traffic detours. We expect residents will again see a noticeable difference in the condition of our roads.”

In 2015, more than $53 million will be spent on Saskatoon roads, including street sweeping, pothole patching, sidewalk rehabilitation, back lane upgrades, road construction and repair, as well as snow and ice management. In 2014, $50 million was invested, 47 per cent more than in 2013. This investment into roads demonstrates the commitment to improving roads as residents have again identified road conditions as the single most important issue facing Saskatoon, according to the annual Civic Services Satisfaction Survey.

“Last year we used more efficient ways to complete the road repair work to minimize the amount of time high-traffic roads were closed for construction, such as evening work and 24 hour work,” says Gardiner. “The 2015 construction season will continue to see these efficiencies to allow the work to be completed timely and effectively, while reducing the impact to drivers, residents and businesses.”

We are also pleased to launch our upgraded Report a Pothole map allowing residents to report potholes online. The enhanced version allows residents to include more descriptions that will help crews locate and repair potholes more quickly and efficiently. It is available for use on desktop browser, mobile phone or tablet device. Residents can find the tool on saskatoon.ca under Popular Services for Residents. Residents should continue to report emergency potholes to Public Works Customer Service at 306-975-2476.

Crews have already been repairing larger potholes on priority streets since the snow melted and will continue full force into the spring and summer. Pre-sweeping programs on priority streets have also begun with Downtown already complete. For more information and schedules throughout the season visit saskatoon.ca/betterroads.