An online survey aimed at providing public input on Phase Two of the proposed route for the Saskatoon Freeway is currently underway.
The online public consultation by the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure (MHI) is part of the Saskatoon Freeway Functional Planning Study. The consultation (www. https://www.saskatoonfreewayvoh.ca/ ) opened February 16 and is slated to close March 2.
Saskatoon Freeway Project Functional Planning Study Senior Project Manager Geoff Meinert said the three-year study is aimed at determining the location and configuration of 17 interchanges, five railway overpasses, and one major bridge along the 55-kilometer divided highway. The freeway begins at Highway 11 south of Saskatoon and connects with Highway 7 west of the city.
While the planning process is underway now, the freeway is not expected to be built for another 15 years.
Phase One of the functional planning study began in the spring of 2019 and was completed in February 2020. Phase One included: Highways 11, 12, and 16; Wanuskewin Road; Penner Road; Rock Ridge Road/Range Road 3053; and the CN rail line.
The MHI website said Phase Two is the longest of three segments in the functional study. It includes two high-speed connection points (Highway 11 and Highway 16) that are both part of the National Highway System.
The study is exploring options for several key questions, including:
* An interchange where Highway 16 East meets the Saskatoon Freeway;
* How drivers on the east side of Saskatoon will access the freeway;
* Interchanges at Highway 5, Highway 41, and Blackley Road that allow for smooth traffic flow;
* How the freeway will cross the North East Swales in an ecologically sensitive way;
* The type of bridge used to cross the South Saskatchewan River.
The MHI website said in the summer and fall of 2020, technical experts and stakeholders were joined by members of the public for three focus group sessions and a workshop on crossing the North East Swales.
Earlier this winter, a revised route for the freeway for the swale crossing was made public. Several landowners directly affected by the route change expressed concern about what they considered lack of consultation.
However, the online consultation process provides an opportunity to address those concerns, according to RM of Corman Park Division One councillor John Germs. He is encouraging residents to participate in the online survey.
The MHI website offers a ‘LiveChat’ option for residents to communicate directly with a member of the project team. An e-mail option is also available on the project website.
There will be a second online public consultation period later this spring.
Once the MHI consultations on Phase Two are complete, the findings will be tabled at a Corman Park council meeting.
Phase Three of the functional planning study is expected to begin during the second quarter of 2021 and continue into 2022.