Sharing news that SHCA members need to know
CAA 2023 top 10 worst roads
From April 4 to 25, 2023, Saskatchewan road users – including pedestrians, motorists, cyclists, transit riders and motorcyclists – nominated and voted for their worst, unsafe roads. The common safety concerns for worst, unsafe roads are crumbling pavement, potholes, lack of maintenance or repair, congestion, not enough signage and poor infrastructure.
Here are the CAA 2023 Top 10 Worst Roads:
- Saskatchewan 44, Eston
Major problem: Potholes - Saskatchewan 30, Eston
Major problem: Potholes - Coteau Street West, Moose Jaw
Major problem: Potholes - Highway 13: Redvers
Major problem: Potholes - Saskatchewan 5, Buchanan
Major problem: Poor road maintenance
(#5 in 2022 CAA Worst Roads campaign) - Butte Street, Pilot Butte
Major problem: Potholes - Saskatchewan 9, Whitewood
Major problem: Potholes - Saskatchewan 123, Petaigan/Ravendale/Pemmican Portage
Major problem: Potholes - Highway 9, Hudson Bay
Major problem: Potholes
(#3 in 2022 and 2021 and #5 in 2018 CAA Worst Roads) - Old Highway 35, White Fox
Major problem: Potholes
A total of 292 roads were nominated and voted on during this year’s CAA Worst Roads campaign. These included roads and highways from across the province that have made CAA’s Worst Roads Top 10 list in previous years such as Saskatchewan 47 Springside (#2 in 2022 and #2 in 2018), 9th Avenue Southwest in Moose Jaw (#10 in 2022 and in 2018), as well as some new additions including Regina’s Connaught Street, Weyburn’s 1st Avenue Northeast, and Wanuskewin Road in Saskatoon. The collection of roads nominated and voted during this year’s campaign indicates that Saskatchewan road users are concerned about their safety while travelling on our roads and highways, with this year’s top 10 list indicating the roads that received the majority of the votes.
The CAA 2023 Worst Roads roving reporter stakeholder and road user interviews are on the CAA Saskatchewan YouTube channel and feature City of Saskatoon’s Todd Grabowski talking about improvements to Circle Drive, Mayor Clive Tolley from Moose Jaw, who provided insight on Moose Jaw’s 4th Avenue Viaduct, Ministry of Highways Assistant Deputy Minister Tom Lees, who addressed changes to Saskatchewan 155 La Loche, which was the #4 CAA Worst Road in 2022 and the #1 in the 2017 CAA Worst Roads, avid cyclist Sarah Bilawski, who shared her safety concerns, and City of Regina’s Kim Onrait on location in Regina’s Whitmore Park – home of two of the 2022 CAA Worst Roads, Grant Drive and Mayfair Crescent.
Weather conditions, age of the roads, heavy traffic and lack of maintenance can cause road deterioration. In cold climates like Saskatchewan, the freeze-thaw cycle plays a key role in creating potholes – a problem that occurs when temperatures regularly go above and below the freezing point. When rain or snow seeps through cracks and openings in the pavement, it freezes and expands, causing the pavement to heave upward. As temperatures rise, the ground underneath the pavement returns to its normal level, leaving a cavity or hole that breaks apart with continued road user traffic over the fractured pavement.
Saskatchewan is a landlocked province and has almost 250,000 km of roads, the highest length of road surface compared to any other province in Canada. These roads, often a lifeline for many residents, are used on a regular basis for business and leisure road travel and when these roads are allowed to deteriorate, road users pay the price.
CAA Saskatchewan is a dedicated safety advocate, and the CAA Worst Roads is an online engagement campaign aimed at drawing attention to our province’s worst, unsafe roads. This year’s top 10 list of worst roads will be distributed to government and business leaders in hopes of sparking conversation and action.
Working towards better roads and safety for all road users is a priority for CAA Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan is a landlocked province and has almost 250,000 km of roads, the highest length of road surface compared to any other province in Canada. These roads, often a lifeline for many residents, are used on a regular basis for business and leisure road travel and when these roads are allowed to deteriorate, road users pay the price.
Highway construction season in full swing
When the daylight hours become longer and warmer weather rolls in, construction equipment rolls out onto Saskatchewan highways. The Government of Saskatchewan is reminding travellers to keep an eye out for highway construction zones across the province.
“The Ministry of Highways has crews working all over the province making improvements to our transportation network,” said Highways Minister Jeremy Cockrill. “Let’s keep them safe, so everyone gets home safe at night. We have lots of work going on and these slowdowns are only temporary.”
Some major construction projects will continue or be completed to improve safety and traffic flow, including:
- Continuing passing lanes and widening on Highway 5 from Saskatoon to Highway 2;
- Beginning construction of twinning projects near Rowatt and Corinne on Highways 6 and 39 between Regina and Weyburn; and
- Beginning upgrades on Highway 15 east of Kenaston between Highways 11 and 2.
“Provincial road builders employ close to 30,000 workers, making our industry one of the largest employers in the province, and they are working to build Saskatchewan,” said Shantel Lipp, Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association president. “We want to remind drivers to be patient and drive with caution while our builders go to work on the roads this season. This will help ensure their safety as well as yours.”
“Provincial road builders employ close to 30,000 workers, making our industry one of the largest employers in the province, and they are working to build Saskatchewan. We want to remind drivers to be patient and drive with caution while our builders go to work on the roads this season. This will help ensure their safety as well as yours.”
– Shantel Lipp, SHCA
“Our members are pleased to work with our partners at the Ministry of Highways to make strategic improvements to the transportation network,” said Bev MacLeod, executive director of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Saskatchewan. “These improvements will make the highway system better and safer for all the people of Saskatchewan.”
There are plans to improve another 1,000 km of highways, for a total of more than 4,600 km of highways improved over the last four years. Improvements this year include:
- 230 km of repaving;
- 300 km of medium treatments, like micro surfacing;
- 340 km of pavement sealing;
- 115 km of thin membrane surface (TMS) and rural highway
upgrades; and - 35 km of gravel rehabilitation.
Highways will also invest $62.8 million to repair or rebuild 14 bridges and replace more than 100 culverts across the province. Significant bridge projects include replacing the Montreal River Bridge on Highway 2 near Weyakwin and rehabilitating the Highway 6 bridge over Regina’s Ring Road for traffic heading north into the city.
The WCB remains fully funded, which means it remained within the targeted funding percentage range of 105 per cent to 120 per cent in 2022.
WCB releases 2022 operating results
The Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) remained fully funded within the targeted range in 2022, which means it can cover the future costs of all claims in the system.
“Under The Workers’ Compensation Act, 2013, the WCB is legislated to have sufficient funds in our injury fund to cover current and future claim costs for injured workers. The range protects against unexpected claim activity or fluctuating economic conditions,” said WCB chair Gord Dobrowolsky. “This includes providing benefits and assistance such as earnings loss, physical and vocational rehabilitation, prevention initiatives and other obligations under the Act.”
The WCB remains fully funded, which means it remained within the targeted funding percentage range of 105 per cent to 120 per cent in 2022. The funding policy is currently under review to align with new accounting standards that will be effective for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2023.
The WCB also reported that the 2023 employer premium rates increased to $1.28, a five-cent increase from the 2022 rate of $1.23.
Financial highlights of the WCB’s 2022 results included:
- Claim costs were $189.4 million in 2022, down from $336.2 million
in 2021. - The WCB’s injury fund was at $436.0 million as of year-end 2022, compared to $549.4 million in 2021.
- The WCB had premium revenues of $304.0 million in 2022 (up from $259.5 million in 2021) and an investment loss of $132.1 million in 2022 (compared to investment income of $254.1 million in 2021). Investment losses includes realized investment income of $98.0 million less $5.4 million for investment expenses, less a $230.1 million decrease in unrealized investment gains for the year.
- The WCB covered 400,392 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers in 2022, compared to 392,813 in 2021.
Last year, the WCB advanced the second year of the major corporate initiative, the Business Transformation Program, which is a $150-million, multi-year investment. Through this initiative, the WCB is engaging customers, partners and WCB staff in this multi-year journey to implement the changes that it believes are necessary to meet customers’ expectations now and into the future.
“Our program involves improving customers’ experience and outcomes, updating, replacing or introducing new technologies, and improving our processes and approach to service delivery,” said WCB CEO Phillip Germain. “The ongoing transformation of our organization enables us to further enhance our business functions and better respond to the needs of our customers, who are the workers and employers of Saskatchewan.”
To support the WCB’s vision to eliminate injuries and restore abilities, the organization promotes workplace safety and injury prevention for workers and employers across the province.
“While we’ve seen some improvements in our injury rates over the last decade, there is still more for all of us to do,” said Germain.
Injury data highlights in 2022 included:
- In 2022, 90 per cent of Saskatchewan workplaces reported zero injuries or fatalities for the third year in a row. Last year, 39 workplace fatalities were reported, up from 31 in 2021.
- The workplace total injury rate in 2022 decreased to 4.33 injuries per 100 workers, representing a five per cent decrease from the 2021 total injury rate of 4.56 per 100 workers.
- The 2022 Time Loss injury rate increased to 2.04 injuries per
100 workers, up 0.49 per cent from the 2021 rate of 2.03 injuries per 100 workers.
Saskatchewan construction investment and housing stats grow
According to numbers released by Statistics Canada in April, Saskatchewan continues to see growth in building construction investment. Year-over-year, investment in building construction saw a 2.7 per cent increase compared to February 2022 (seasonally adjusted), with a total of $356 million invested in building construction in February 2023.
“These numbers are another example of how much people want to invest in Saskatchewan long-term,” said Trade and Export Development Minister Jeremy Harrison. “These investments result in a strong economy that creates more jobs and more opportunities for the people of this province.”
As well, urban housing starts rose by 76.4 per cent February 2022 and 2023, ranking first among the provinces. In the first two months of 2023, urban housing starts in Saskatchewan increased by 49.7 per cent.
In the first two months of 2023, urban housing stats in Saskatchewan increased by 49.7 per cent.
Canada Infrastructure Bank invests $27.3 million in wastewater treatment facility
Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) and English River First Nation (ERFN), through their economic development arm Des Nedhe Group, closed on a $27.3 million financing agreement in March. The loan will support the construction of a new wastewater treatment facility and infrastructure on ERFN’s Grasswoods Urban Reserve near Saskatoon.
“The CIB is proud to partner with English River First Nation and Des Nedhe Group to invest in critical infrastructure at the Grasswoods Urban Reserve. Our $27.3 million investment will accelerate construction of a new wastewater treatment facility, providing the community with the certainty they need to plan for future development. As part of our mandate, the CIB is committed to collaborating with First Nation, Métis, and Inuit communities to help deliver inclusive and sustainable infrastructure which will benefit future generations,” said Ehren Cory, CEO, Canada Infrastructure Bank with the announcement on March 15.
Construction on the facility is expected to complete in 2024.