News Releases

 

A super charged, heavy and sustained downpour over the supper hour has resulted in a surge in the City’s storm system. The City is aware of manhole covers that may have popped off from the heavy rain. Use caution and reduce speed when driving through deep puddles; avoid driving through flooded roadways and walking through deep puddles if possible.

Call Dispatch at 306-975-2476 to report any flood related concerns. The City is experiencing a high volume of calls, and thanks residents for their patience. 

We have brought in available crews to clear flooded roadways and to repair manhole covers as quickly as possible.

 For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.

 

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The heavy rain storm early Monday evening will not impact the drinking water in the city. Storm water and drinking water systems are two totally different sets of pipes – they are not interconnected.

If residents have any water concerns, please call our Customer Service Dispatch at 306-975-2476.

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.

 

The City confirms that no contaminated water leaked into the river as a result of a personal vehicle entering a construction site and damaging a valve at the Water Treatment Plant on Spadina Crescent Friday evening.  An early morning report from the Fire Department indicated the potential for a ditch to overflow and leak into the river, but our staff had all valves turned off well before the ditch was full to prevent any overflow.

There were no workers on site at the time of the incident.  Clean-up at the scene is still underway and the extent of damage is yet to be determined.  

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.

CIRCLE DRIVE MEDIAN LANE RESTRICTIONS, MAY 24-25

Beginning at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 24, 2014, there will be various lane restrictions on Circle Drive while crews repair the guardrails.

Saturday, May 24 - 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

- Circle Drive eastbound and westbound median (inside) lanes will be closed under the Attridge Drive overpass.

Sunday, May 25 - 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

- Circle Drive northbound and southbound median (inside) lanes will be closed between College Drive and 8th Street East.

8TH STREET EAST LANE RESTRICTIONS, MAY 25

Sunday, May 25 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

- 8th Street East westbound lanes from Acadia Drive to the Centre Mall Entrance will be closed while crews pave utility cuts.
- Westbound drivers should use 14th Street or Taylor Street as a detour.

Sunday May 25 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

- 8th Street East eastbound median (inside) and centre lanes will be closed between Broadway Avenue and Landsdowne Avenue while crews inspect underground utilities.

IDYLWYLD DRIVE LANE RESTRICTIONS, MAY 25

Beginning at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday May 25, 2014, the following restrictions will be in place on sections of Idylwyld Drive while crews work on streetlight poles:

-Idylwyld Drive northbound off-ramp curb (outside) lane to 1st Avenue North northbound will be closed from 7:00 a.m. to Noon
- Idylwyld Drive southbound curb (outside) lane will be closed between 20th Street and the Sid Buckwold Bridge from 8:30 a.m. to Noon.

VARIOUS ROAD RESTRICTIONS FOR MARATHON EVENT, MAY 25

To accommodate the Saskatchewan Marathon event on Sunday, May 25, 2014 from 6:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., no parking signs and traffic restrictions will be in place along marathon routes. The main road restrictions will include:

- Full closure of Taylor Street between St. Henry Avenue and Victoria Avenue
- Broadway Avenue southbound curb lane between the Broadway Bridge and 11^th Street
- Victoria Avenue northbound between 11^th Street and Taylor Street
- Spadina Crescent northbound from 20^th Street to Ravine Drive including northbound exit from University Bridge
- 1st Avenue southbound at 20th Street

Drivers are encouraged to avoid the area during the event and watch for participants and officials. The City thanks everyone for their patience.

All restrictions will be lifted as indicated, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Drivers are reminded to allow extra time when travelling through the orange zone, watch for pedestrians and work crews, and for everyone’s safety, please obey all detours, signs and barriers.

Know before you go! Find traffic detour information on our website at www.saskatoon.ca/go/traffic. You can also follow us on Twitter @cityofsaskatoon and with #betterroadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

With changes to the Accelerated Residential Street Sweeping Program this year - such as enforcing parking restrictions, sweeping  streets curb-to-curb without vehicles, delivering a two-phase program for many neighbourhoods - created some unknown variables. Two weeks into the program and in the spirit of continuous improvement, the schedule needs to be adjusted for better efficiency.  

So far we’re pleased with the progress of the program and the city is starting to look much better.  However, when rolling out several new initiatives and the way we do our work has led to unforeseen challenges. As a result of these changes, a few neighbourhoods were not completed and those streets were rescheduled.  

To prevent similar repeats, we  are extending the schedule; and as long as the weather cooperates, we will still be completed earlier than in past years.   

A new schedule is available from saskatoon.ca by clicking on the Building Better Roads link.   

Added sweeping programs include: 

- Circle Drive - started on Tuesday this week. It is expected to be completed within two weeks.
- School Zones - will be swept in the evenings, beginning the week of June 2, 2014.
- Downtown, followed by the Broadway, Sutherland and Riversdale Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) will be swept curb-to-curb  over several evenings. Downtown is tentatively scheduled to begin Sunday, May 25.  Please watch for No Parking signs over the next couple of weeks in these areas and remove your vehicle by the posted day and time. 
- Remaining BIDs are scheduled to receive a curb-to-curb sweep in the evenings, following the work Downtown.

For evening programs, a mixture of yellow sandwich boards, bags on parking metres and paper signs will be used.

A schedule, Frequently Asked Questions and map of neighbourhoods is available at saskatoon.ca under the Building Better Roads icon. 

Drivers are reminded to be patient and to drive carefully when they encounter slow moving street-sweeping vehicles.  You may also contact the 24-hour Street Sweeping Hotline at 306-975-2476 or streetsweep@saskatoon.ca

If poor weather delays sweeping, the neighbourhood will move to the end of the schedule and new No Parking signs will be posted in advance to notify residents.

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca/go/traffic. You can also follow us on Twitter @cityofsaskatoon and with #BetterRoadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.  

IDYLWYLD DRIVE & 51ST STREET RAMPS, MAY 26 - JUNE 5

Starting at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, May 26, 2014, crews will begin resurfacing the Idylwyld Drive and 51st Street interchange ramps. Crews will move through the interchange section by section with the project expected to take 11 days.

The work is scheduled to progress in the following sequence:

- Idylwyld Drive northbound ramp to 51st Street
- 51st Street westbound ramp to Idylwyld Drive northbound
- Idylwyld Drive southbound ramp to 51st Street
- Avenue C eastbound ramp to Idylwyld Drive southbound
- 51st Street westbound loop to Idylwyld Drive southbound
- 51st Street eastbound loop to Idylwyld Drive northbound
- Idylwyld Drive southbound under the bridge
- Idylwyld Drive northbound under the bridge

Crews will be working around-the-clock to accelerate the length of construction and minimize impact to traffic.

Watch for Traffic Detour alerts at Saskatoon.ca for up-to-date information on road restrictions in this area.

CLARENCE AVENUE SOUTHBOUND CURB LANE, MAY 26-29

Beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, May 26, 2014, Clarence Avenue southbound curb (outside) lane will be closed between Hilliard Street and Ruth Street while crews repair the sidewalk. The work is expected to last four days.

The restrictions will be lifted as indicated weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.

UPDATE: 19TH STREET EASTBOUND, MAY 26-28 *This updates information previously released

Beginning at 7:00 a.m. on Monday May 26, the 19th Street eastbound curb lane will be closed between 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue as crews resurface the roadway. The right turn from 19th Street onto 2nd Avenue southbound will be maintained. *Please note: The work is expected to take three days.

Drivers are reminded to allow extra time when travelling through the orange zone, watch for pedestrians and work crews, and for everyone’s safety, please obey all detours, signs and barriers.

Know before you go! Find traffic detour information on our website at www.saskatoon.ca/go/traffic. You can also follow us on Twitter @cityofsaskatoon and with #betterroadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

For Release: Friday, May 22, 2014

As the City continues to monitor the increasing flow of the South Saskatchewan River, because of safety concerns the Fire Department recommends the closure today of the public boat launch until further notice.

The Water Security Agency (WSA) increased outflows from 800 cubic metres per second (m³/s) to 1000 m³/s. This has caused the already heightened water level on the South Saskatchewan River downstream of Gardiner Dam to rise between 25cm to 40 cm.  It’s anticipated that the higher river flows will remain in place for the remainder of May and into June.

“As a result of these conditions, the Fire Department strongly discourages activity on or near the river while the flow rate remains strong,” Assistant Fire Chief Morgan Hackl says.  “When the river is like this, it creates significant safety hazards for people and pets on the river – or along its banks – and for firefighters who may have to get in the river for a rescue.  We know the weekend is expected to be hot, however we’re asking folks to please use common sense, respect nature and stay back from the fast flowing water of the South Saskatchewan.”

This increase in outflow is a proactive release in response to the above normal snowpack in the mountains, above average lake level for this time of year and recent rainfall events in Alberta. No out-of-bank flooding is expected to occur as a result of this operation.

With this planned release and forecasted inflow over the next two weeks, WSA expects to lower the Lake Diefenbaker reservoir to provide additional flood storage in the event of above normal rainfall in late May and June.

The 10-day forecast for stream flows and any other relevant updates will be posted to the WSA’s website at wsask.ca.

In an emergency, call 9-1-1.

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.

                          

Repainting road markings are a priority for the City in the spring to help drivers, cyclists and pedestrians stay safe on the roads.  Traditional road paint tends to wear off from winter snow grading, salting and sanding, as well as repeated vehicle traffic.  This year, we are expanding our use of durable road markings, which lasts much longer.

Durable road markings have now been applied to portions of 1st Avenue, Central Avenue, Circle Drive and Preston Avenue, bringing the first phase to an end.  The contractor will return mid-June to begin the next round which includes portions of Preston Avenue, Cumberland Avenue, 51st Street and McOrmond Drive.

Centre lines are now 29 per cent complete; and crosswalk painting is 36 per cent complete.  This past week we painted crosswalks in Willowgrove, Varsity View and Riversdale.

The cost of the annual road painting program is $800,000 per year. In 2014, an additional $500,000 will be spent on durable markings that can last between 7 and 10 years.  Line painting is just one aspect of the City of Saskatoon’s Building Better Roads effort where we are investing nearly $50 million into road-related maintenance, rehabilitation and construction.

City crews paint road markings two to three times each year:

- Lane lines, edge lines and centre lines are painted three times a year,
- Crosswalks are painted at least twice a year, and
- Sharrows, chevrons and parking stall lines are painted once a year.

Road markings are re-painted if they have been removed for repairs or construction.  To minimize traffic disruptions and for the safety of workers, high-traffic streets are painted in the evening. 

“Safety of our staff and others on the road is a key focus for us this construction season,” says Angela Gardiner, Director of Transportation.  “With so much extra work happening on the roads this year, we ask everyone approaching work zones or passing painting vehicles to slow down, pay attention and give workers the room they need to get the job done. If everyone makes safety a priority, we will be able to work through the 2014 construction season safely and successfully.”

Construction season is underway!  For the latest updates and schedules on everything from road repairs and restrictions to street sweeping, go to saskatoon.ca and click on “Building Better Roads”.

For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca/go/traffic. You can also follow us on Twitter @cityofsaskatoon and with #BetterRoadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook. 

Saskatoon’s Henk Ruys Soccer Centre has been designated as an Emergency Evacuation Site to shelter approximately 140 evacuees from Stanley Mission First Nation northeast of La Ronge due to smoke from a forest fire in that area.  The evacuees were moved from their community today and are expected to arrive in Saskatoon Thursday evening.
“The City of Saskatoon is ready and will do whatever is necessary to make the evacuees’ stay in Saskatoon as comfortable as possible,” says Cary Humphrey, Director of Recreation & Sport.  “The City anticipates events such as this during forest fire season and for many years has kept evacuations at the forefront of our emergency planning.”

The City of Saskatoon is working with the Canadian Red Cross (lead agency), Ministry of Social Services, Saskatoon Health Region, Henk Ruys Soccer Centre, and Saskatoon Police to mobilize resources in preparation for the evacuees. 
The Stanley Mission First Nation is approximately 460 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon near La Ronge.
For more City of Saskatoon Public Service Announcements, News Releases, Traffic Detours and Service Alerts, visit www.saskatoon.ca or connect with the City of Saskatoon on Twitter and Facebook.

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Starting at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, May 23, 2014, there will be various lane restrictions along 8th Street East between Acadia Drive and the Centre Mall entrance while crews pave utility cuts.

Friday, May 23 – 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

- 8th Street East eastbound median (inside) and centre lanes from Acadia Drive to the Centre Mall entrance will be closed.
- Traffic will be maintained in the curb (outside) lane.

Sunday, May 25 – 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

- All westbound lanes from Acadia Drive to the Centre Mall entrance will be closed.
- Westbound drivers should use 14th Street or Taylor Street as a detour.  

The restrictions will be lifted as indicated, weather permitting and barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Drivers are reminded to allow extra time when travelling through the orange zone, watch for pedestrians and work crews, and for everyone’s safety, please obey all detours, signs and barriers.

Know before you go! Find traffic detour information on our website at www.saskatoon.ca/go/traffic. You can also follow us on Twitter @cityofsaskatoon and with #betterroadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.