Saskatoon drivers are going to have to account for slow traffic on College Drive for the next six months as a water main maintenance project gets underway this week.
According to a release from the City of Saskatoon, two-way traffic will be maintained on the road during the project but there will be lane restrictions and delays are likely to occur until October.
“Access points to the University of Saskatchewan, Royal University Hospital and Saskatchewan Cancer Centre are located along College Drive,” said Terry Schmidt, the city’s general manager of transportation and construction. “There will be no access restrictions, however, due to anticipated traffic delays, we encourage anyone visiting these locations between now and October to take note and consider allowing extra travel time.”
He added that pedestrians may also be detoured during the construction and Saskatoon Transit services will be affected.
The City of Saskatoon said the water main project will be completed block by block with pits dug in various spots of each work zone.
Crews started laying down temporary above-ground water lines between Cumberland Avenue and Clarence Avenue this week to prepare for the project.
“The planned maintenance work is a trenchless method where pits are dug at various locations on College Drive, and plastic tubing is inserted into the existing water main to extend the lifespan,” Schmidt said.
Residents can find the city’s daily road report on its website.