Thousands of semi loads of goods are transported across Saskatchewan every day. While most reach their destination unscathed, occasionally some get hung up.
“It’s inconvenient to the public, absolutely,” Rob Frank, the City of Saskatoon‘s engineering manager, said.
An incident on Oct. 20 slowed traffic to a crawl after the load a semi was hauling struck the overpass at Highway 11 and Circle Drive.
“We have over 50 overpass structures and pretty much everyone of them has scrapes or dings underneath them” Frank explained.
While damaging impacts aren’t considered common in Saskatoon, they do happen more commonly at the Highway 11 and Circle Drive overpass than elsewhere in the city.
READ MORE: Semi hauling cultivator hits Saskatoon overpass
In March 2016, the overpass was struck by a semi tractor unit hauling a cultivator.
Then, two months later, another hit to the same overpass.
READ MORE: Storage tank strikes Saskatoon overpass at Highway 11, Circle Drive
Harvey McClellend with Turner Transport cautions drivers about the area.
“When you come into Saskatoon from Regina, that particular interchange is one of the lower ones in Saskatoon and northbound is lower than southbound,” McClelland said, adding that it is clearly marked and it the height difference from one side to the other is well known within the industry.
Turner Transport specializes in oversized loads and in McClellend’s 31 years with the company, he cannot recall any overpass impacts by any of their drivers.
“Thirteen-feet six-inches is considered legal, anything higher than that you require a permit.”
McClelland says the company has an in-house permitting department, and couples that with a feature on SGI’s (Saskatchewan Government Insurance) website.
“There’s actually a mapping feature that you go in and you pick a way point and it generates the route for you,” McClelland explained.
According to Frank, the city has proper signage and adjusts height restrictions when roads are resurfaced, if needed. So why do overpasses get hit?
“It is 100 per cent the responsibility of the driver,” said Frank who believes some drivers aren’t doing their due diligence, resulting in the collisions.
Thankfully for tax paying residents, the repairs are covered by insurance premiums, Frank explained, unless it’s a hit and run which is uncommon with overpass impacts as they typically stop the vehicle in its tracks.
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