Public consultations on Phase 3 of the Saskatoon Freeway route won’t take place until next winter.
In a news release issued July 3, the Saskatoon Freeway Functional Planning Team said the third and final round of public and stakeholder engagement for the Saskatoon Freeway Functional Planning Study has a revised timeline.
“In March 2024, we announced plans to hold two public information sessions for stakeholders, residents and landowners as part of Phase 3,” stated the news release. “At the time, we had anticipated the first session would occur in the spring of 2024.
“To allow our project team enough time to prepare for these sessions, we have updated our schedule. The first information session is now planned for the winter of 2024/25. A second open house will be held in spring 2025.”
The Ministry of Highways has started the third and final phase of the Saskatoon Freeway Functional Planning Study (SFFPS) which includes the western section of the Saskatoon Freeway between Highway 16 west and the Highway 7/Highway 60 intersection.
The first information session will include an in-person opportunity for discussion and questions with the project team. A virtual open house will be part of both sessions.
Phase 3 of the Saskatoon Freeway Functional Planning Study is part of a multi-year functional study. The timeline to construct the Saskatoon Freeway is at least 15 years away. The Ministry of Highways has assembled a project team which includes experts from AtkinsRealis, AECOM, and Praxis Consulting to assist in this long-term planning work.
As each phase of the study is completed and approved, the land required for the Saskatoon Freeway will become defined, allowing for some temporary restrictions to be lifted. This will give residents and businesses along the freeway corridor a better understanding of where and how they may be impacted.
A functional study focuses on finalizing concept design, including setting the centre line of the freeway and defining types of interchanges and service roads needed to get on and off the freeway. When the preferred route is approved, the current 500-metre-wide corridor will be reduced by approximately 75 per cent. Restrictions on development will be limited to a much smaller area of land.