HUMBOLDT β Paving on the remaining three kilometers of the 10 kilometer stretch of road on Highway 5 that the Ministry of Highways has been working on is expected to resume in May, with traffic delay times approaching 30 minutes.
In a statement, the Ministry asked that heavy trucks consider an alternate route to avoid further deterioration of the road.
βAs construction work begins again for the season, there are no viable detour options around the work zones, so drivers can expect delay times approaching 30 minutes,β the Ministry of Highways said.
βIt will be best to use an alternate route such as Highways 41, 27 or Highway 16 and 2. These alternate routes will be signed in advance to alert motorists. Drivers are reminded to be patient, expect delays, watch for workers and pay close attention to signs when driving through the work zone.β
The Highway 5 upgrade project began in 2020, with the Ministry of Highways paving taking place on seven kilometers of the 10 kilometer stretch. Due to being unable to finish it for the season, a temporary winter surface was put in place for the remaining three kilometers.
While the construction season isnβt expected to fully begin until May, the Ministry said a contractor has started some short-term repair work a few weeks ago.
βThis repair work is a short term fix until construction season starts. You can expect to see the large blowout areas reverted to gravel and smaller potholes to be patched.β
To manage the surface issues, the speed limit has been limited to 60 kilometers per hour and warning signs, red diamonds and message boards have been added to the city.
The Phase 1 work includes repaving, road widening, and improving the sight lines over the 10 kilometer stretch of highway.
Phase 2 will involve the approximately 15 kilometers of road west of the intersection of Highway 5 and Highway 2. This includes repaving, road widening, sight line improvements, and the construction of eastbound and westbound passing lanes.
The Ministry expects this work to be completed in 2022.
Design work is also underway for Phase 3, which includes the twinning of Highway 5 from just east of Saskatoon, near the junction of Highway 41, to Old Road 27. Construction of Phase 3 is expected to begin in spring 2023.
