REGINA – Opposition to the proposed Regina bypass intensified on Friday. With increasing calls for safety on Highway 1 East, the ministry of highways is anxious to get construction underway, but said some landowners are impeding progress.
The owners of Super Seamless have been outspoken against the location of the bypass from the very beginning. The company’s land has been expropriated to make way for construction.
Despite being told to clear the land of any products back in April, Super Seamless has refused to remove entire piles of items from the property in question.
“What we were doing was waiting to hope they came to their senses,” said the company’s operations manager, Allen Mryglod.
That wasn’t what happened. Instead, Mryglod came to work Thursday afternoon and saw unusual activity in the yard.
“I found an operator with a large piece of equipment basically demolishing our pallets and racking and things we had out back,” said Mryglod.
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When questioned, the ministry of highways and infrastructure denied having anything to do with it.
“We have not gone in with pay loaders and put anything in dumpsters,” said spokesperson Doug Wakabayashi. “We have not moved anything on that property as of yet,” he repeated.
After being pushed by reporters, the ministry changed its stance.
“We own the land. That material is sitting on our land. We’ve given him sufficient time to remove the articles,” said design and innovation deputy minister Ron Gerbrandt. “So we’re trying to remove those articles so we can move forward.”
The owners of Super Seamless are also concerned that construction is starting on their Tower Road property first, rather than on the overpasses near Pilot Butte or White City.
“We believe that they’re trying to send a message. That if you don’t toe the line, we will bulldoze over you,” said Mryglod.
Wakabayashi took exception to the allegation. “The implication that government or any individuals within government would take action out of any sense of malice or a vendetta is absurd.”
He explained the reasoning behind the move. “The very first thing that needs to be done is to start grading the embankments, the large ramps that go up to the ultimate bridge structure. Those usually need a year or two to settle.”
The owners of Super Seamless, also known for their ‘Why Tower Road?’ campaigning continue to argue the bypass should go north around Regina, rather than south.
But Wakabayashi said it’s too late to change the route now: “It’s not going to change. We’ve signed a contract with a consortium to build the bypass over the next four years. It’s a practical impossibility to break that contract.”
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