Saskatchewan’s ‘worst roads’ of 2021 named by online voting campaign

Drivers have nominated and chosen which Saskatchewan roads and highways they feel need the most attention.

The results of CAA Saskatchewan’s ninth Worst Roads Campaign were released on Wednesday.

A road near the village of Dorintosh, which is approximately 300 km northwest of Saskatoon, took the top spot and the 2021 top-10 list reads as follows:

1. Saskatchewan 4, Dorintosh
2. 8th Avenue North, Regina
3. Saskatchewan 9, Hudson Bay
4. 52nd Street East, Saskatoon
5. Saskatchewan 340, Hafford
6. Grant Drive, Regina
7. Saskatchewan 33, Regina
8. Highway 13, Shaunavon
9. 20th Street West, Saskatoon
10. Three-way tie between: Saskatchewan 35, Weyburn; Saskatchewan 3, Hudson Bay; Saskatchewan 9, Canora.

The online nomination and voting took place from April 7 to 27. CAA’s Worst Roads campaign took a hiatus in 2020 due to the challenges presented at the initial outbreak of COVID-19.

“We knew it would not be a regular campaign, due to COVID-19 and the recommended restricted travel in the province. And we know that our residents and travellers have other things on their mind,” read a CAA statement.

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“The votes are down from previous years, and we thank all those who took the time to participate in this year’s campaign.”

The purpose of the campaign was to help highlight problems and dangerous road conditions in the province and to encourage decision-makers to address those in most need of improvements.

CAA said the list has been shared with mayors in Regina and Saskatoon, the Minister of Highways, as well as Municipalities of Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities.

The Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure said while it respects CAA’s efforts to highlight areas that need improvement, it has a thorough prioritization system that determines when work needs to be done and the list does not influence how work is prioritized.

Ministry officials added that the following roads that appeared on the last CAA list have been or are being repaired:

• Saskatchewan 26, Goodsoil: The province’s stimulus funding has allowed for a thin-membrane surface rehabilitation, which will be tendered this spring;
• Highway 21, Paradise Hill: the RM of Frenchman Butte is partnering with the ministry to upgrade to a secondary weight highway, with construction slated to occur in 2021; and
• Saskatchewan 795 between St. Walburg and Livelong: Highways maintains this 10-kilometre section. The surface of this section was repaired in 2019 by adding 80 mm of asphalt concrete to the existing subgrade. Brushing was also completed on more than nine km of the section.

CAA Saskatchewan has said it acknowledges the improvements made to the province’s roadways but there is still work to be done.

The “worst road” of the 2019 campaign was Highway 26 by Goodsoil. 

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