News Releases

The City of Saskatoon's Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Office, in partnership with the Office of the Treaty Commissioner, are planning a unity walk to celebrate the life and work of Nelson Mandela on Friday, July 18.

The First Annual Nelson Mandela International Day will start with a workshop on the messages of Nelson Mandela at the Indian and Métis Friendship Centre (168 Wall Street) where participants will work with community members and workshop leaders to create messages of unity and peace.  The unity walk will take place following the workshop and proceed to City Hall Civic Square (222 3rd Avenue North) where refreshments and performances by local community artists will take place.  Everyone is welcome to drop-in to attend all or part of the celebrations. There is no cost to participate.

International Nelson Mandela Day
Friday, July 18, 2014
1:00 p.m.   Workshop at the Saskatoon Indian and Métis Friendship Centre
2:00 p.m.   Unity Walk to City Hall Civic Square
2:30 p.m.   Refreshments and performances by community artists in Civic Square 

For more information, please contact the Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Office at 306-975-7826.

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.

For Immediate Release: July 14, 2014
                                           

CENTRAL AVENUE CLOSED FROM 111TH STREET AND 113TH STREET, JULY 15 – AUGUST 5

Beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 15, Central Avenue will be closed from 111th Street to 113th Street while crews work on water main linings.

Traffic will be detoured via Egbert Avenue. The work is expected to last 3 weeks.

33RD STREET BETWEEN EDMONTON AVE & AVE P, JULY 15-17

Beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 15, the following restrictions will be in place while crews work on underground utilities:

- 33rd Street westbound lanes will be closed between Avenue P and Edmonton Avenue
- 33rd Street eastbound median (inside) lane will be closed between Edmonton Avenue and Avenue P

A detour will be in place for westbound traffic. The restrictions are expected to be lifted by 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 17.

51ST STREET OVERPASS OVER IDYLWYLD DRIVE, JULY 15

Beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 15, 51st Street eastbound and westbound median (inside) lanes will be closed on the Idylwyld Drive overpass while crews repair an expansion joint.

The road is expected to reopen by 3:00 p.m. the same day.

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

Slow down, pay attention and respect work zones. Watch for pedestrians and work crews, and for everyone’s safety, please obey all detours, signs and barriers.

Know before you go! Plan your route around road work by checking our Road Restrictions and Construction Projects interactive map, find traffic detour information on our saskatoon.ca homepage or subscribe to our Traffic Detour Service Alerts. You can also follow us on Twitter @cityofsaskatoon and with #betterroadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

For Immediate Release: July 11, 2014
 

MILLAR AVENUE BETWEEN 43RD STREET AND MOLARO PLACE, JULY 13 

Beginning at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 13, the following restrictions will be in place on Millar Avenue while crews prepare the road to be paved:

Sunday, July 13 – 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

- Millar Avenue northbound will be closed between 52nd Street and Molaro Place
- Millar Avenue southbound median (inside) lane will be closed between 52nd Street and Molaro Place
- Millar Avenue northbound and southbound median (inside) lanes will be closed between 43rd Street and 51st Street

The work is expected to last one day.

VARIOUS RESTRICTIONS FOR RIVER RUN CLASSIC, JULY 13

Beginning at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 13, the following restrictions will be in place to accommodate the Run River Classic event:

- Spadina Crescent will be closed from 2nd Avenue to 20th Street
- Spadina Crescent northbound will be closed from 20th Street to Silverwood Road
- Spadina Crescent southbound will be closed between Mendel traffic lights and 24th Street (including University Bridge westbound ramp to Spadina Crescent)

The restrictions are expected to be lifted by 12:00 p.m. Noon, the same day.

SPADINA CRESCENT CLOSURES FOR A TASTE OF SASKATCHEWAN, JULY 13-20

Beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 13, Spadina Crescent will be closed from 20th Street to near 3rd Avenue to accommodate the A Taste of Saskatchewan event.

Spadina Crescent northbound curb (outside) lane will also be closed between 20th Street and the Bessborough parking lot entrance.

The restrictions will be lifted by 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 20.

OVERNIGHT RESTRICTIONS: 24TH STREET BETWEEN 3RD AVENUE & 5TH AVENUE, JULY 13

Beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 13, 24th Street will be closed between 3rd Avenue and 5th Avenue while crews apply permanent road markings.

The 4th Avenue intersection will remain open to through traffic.

The restrictions are expected to be lifted by 6:00 a.m. on Monday, July 14.

OVERNIGHT RESTRICTIONS: IDYLWYLD DRIVE FROM 24TH STREET TO 27TH STREET, JULY 13

Beginning at 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 13, Idylwyld Drive will be closed between 24th Street and 27th Street while crews apply permanent road markings.

A detour will be in place in both directions.

The road is expected to reopen by 6:00 a.m. on Monday, July 14.

REMINDER: ASSINIBOINE DRIVE FROM WARMAN ROAD TO KOOTENAY DRIVE, JULY 11-17

Starting at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, July 11, Assiniboine Drive will be closed between Warman Road and Kootenay Drive while crews pave the road.

A detour will be in place via Churchill Drive and Ravine Drive.

The work is expected to last 8 days.

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

Slow down, pay attention and respect work zones. Watch for pedestrians and work crews, and for everyone’s safety, please obey all detours, signs and barriers.

Know before you go! Plan your route around road work by checking our Road Restrictions and Construction Projects interactive map, find traffic detour information on our saskatoon.ca homepage or subscribe to our Traffic Detour Service Alerts. You can also follow us on Twitter @cityofsaskatoon and with #betterroadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

Construction season is progressing well as the City of Saskatoon builds, repairs and maintains more roads than ever before.

“To date we have completed approximately 30 per cent of the 2014 roadway preservation and rehabilitation work,” says Chris Hallam, Director of Construction and Design. “This year we plan to resurface 178 lane kilometres of road, the same distance as from here to Kindersley and 100 kilometres more than last year.”

So far, crews have resurfaced 52 lane kilometres, including recent major projects on Circle Drive from College Drive to the Circle Drive North Bridge and on 51st Street between Faithfull Avenue and Wanuskewin Road. Work on both of these major projects was done at night only, opening the road to traffic during the day.

“As a result of the night work we have definitely seen reduced congestion and less of an impact on drivers and surrounding businesses,” says Hallam. “The same goes for the 24 hour cycles, where the work is being completed quickly, reducing the overall impact to drivers.”

Work to twin Claypool Drive is underway this week. Next week, resurfacing work will be happening 24 hours a day at the Circle Drive and Highway 16 cloverleaf intersection and beginning in late July, Millar Avenue will be repaved from 43rd Street to Molaro Place, in the evenings only.

“Above average rainfall in June delayed some projects by one to two weeks”, says Hallam. “Typically the weather is better during the months of July, August and September so we are confident crews will be able to make up that lost time.” 

The City encourages citizens to use the new Road Restrictions and Construction Projects interactive map found on saskatoon.ca under Check This Out! or click on the link to Building Better Roads. The map allows users to pinpoint the exact location of work zones using GPS technology and get up to date information, schedules and timelines for each project.

Slow down, pay attention and respect work zones. Watch for pedestrians and work crews, and for everyone’s safety, please obey all detours, signs and barriers.

Know before you go! Plan your route around road work by checking our Road Restrictions and Construction Projects interactive map, find traffic detour information on our saskatoon.ca homepage or subscribe to our Traffic Detour Service Alerts. You can also follow us on Twitter @cityofsaskatoon and with #betterroadsYXE and like Saskatoon City News on Facebook.

The Saskatoon Fire Department is concerned about drivers disobeying the flashing red lights in front of all of our fire stations. We have requested that the Saskatoon Police Service regularly assist us in addressing this problem and in some instances have forwarded licence plate numbers to them.

According to The Traffic Safety Act drivers facing a flashing red light must stop at the crosswalk, light or sign and not proceed until it is safe to do so. In some instances, our fire stations were built close to the street and the fire trucks must cross all lanes of traffic while preparing to back in. It is not safe to drive behind a fire truck that is preparing to back up.

As a department we say thank you to the hundreds of residents who pull to the right when they see lights and sirens behind them, who stay well back during emergencies letting us do our work efficiently and who wait patiently at the flashing red lights so we can either leave or return to the Station. In fires and life threatening emergencies every second counts. We rely on the public to help us gain every second possible.