Good news and bad news for those thinking of travelling on Highway 39 south and west of Estevan this week.
Saskatchewan Highways and Infrastructure informed the public on Friday the bridge spanning the Souris River on Highway 39 south of Estevan toward the United States border is now partially open to light weight vehicles only.
Vehicles with a maximum weight of up to 8,000 kilograms will be allowed to use the bridge that is undergoing repairs following the floods of this past spring and early summer.
But west of the city, Highway 39 is now closed to all general traffic between Estevan and Midale due to a road repair project that has just started near Macoun that will raise the road level 0.6 metres over a one kilometre stretch to alleviate an ongoing problem of water running over the highway surface in a low lying region.
Traffic had been allowed to travel on this particular piece of highway for the past month, reduced to one lane, with traffic being directed by flag personnel.
Traffic will be detoured east/west via highway 13 between Weyburn and Stoughton and north/south on Highway 47 between Stoughton and Estevan.
Local traffic will still have access and drivers are asked to watch for message boards for more information.
Doug Wakabayashi of Highways and Infrastructure, said semi trucks and commercial vehicles are still unable to use the bridge south of Estevan and must continue to use their alternate routes. He said flag personnel will also be stationed at the bridge to ensure that only light weight vehicles are using the bridge while it undergoes the repairs that will lend it more strength.
Commercial vehicles will continue to enter Canada at the Port of Regway on Highway 6 which is open 24 hours a day or at Northgate (temporary arrangements for commercial vehicles) which is open until 9 p.m. and opened at 8 a.m. daily.
The bridge repair work is expected to be completed as early as this week if weather and other conditions work in favour of the contractor, Turnbull Excavating.
Once the bridge support work is completed normal traffic flows, including trucks carrying larger loads on semis and commercial vehicles will resume. The work on the bridge began July 20 after it was closed to all traffic on the afternoon of July 18 when engineering studies indicated a weakness in the support materials on both the north and south banks because of riverbank erosion due to the floods.
In related highway news, it was noted that a $500,000 culvert replacement project southeast of Weyburn on Highway 39, is moving ahead. It is expected to be completed by mid-August.
A $9.8 million repaving project on Highway 18 near Estevan is also underway. Three segments of the highway are being repaved due to flood damages. The projects are found east and west of Estevan and total about 39 kilometres. The largest segment (about 32 kilometres) stretches from the Highway 39 and Highway 18 junction at Bienfait to the east; about 2.9 kilometres stretching from the junction of Highway 47 and 18 at Estevan heading west to the Boundary Dam access road along with about 4.1 kilometres from the Boundary Dam access road to the west. Traffic may be reduced to one lane on occasions with flagpersons in attendance. This work should be completed by the fall.
Highway 47 north of Stoughton is also undergoing repaving work due to highway surfaces that were compromised due to excessive water earlier this year.
