By TERRY PUGH
A set of traffic lights is slated to be installed later this winter or in early spring at a busy intersection in Warman, thanks in part to grant funding from the Provincial Traffic Safety Fund (PTSF).
The traffic lights will replace a four-way stop at the intersection of Central Street and 1st Avenue/Industrial Road in Warman.
The City of Warman received a $100,000 grant from the PTSF, which will cover roughly half the cost of the new traffic lights, according to the city administration. The city successfully applied for the grant funding in late 2024 and received the maximum amount available under the program.
Officials with the city’s planning department said the intersection has been the site of numerous minor collisions over the past few years. The city has also had complaints from residents of a nearby multi-residential dwelling regarding the constant noise from traffic starting and stopping.
City officials are optimistic that work on the installation of the new traffic lights will begin in the next few weeks. The project should be completed by spring.
The City of Warman was one of 79 communities to be approved for funding from the PSTF, administered by SGI. A total of $1.6 million in grants was approved for 82 projects, most of which are aimed at reducing speeding.
Other area communities to receive PTSF funding include:
* The RM of Corman Park ($9,987 for speed radar signs in the hamlet of Neuhorst);
* RM of Aberdeen ($53,254 for a road management safety project);
* Town of Delisle ($37,234 for street light installation in the town’s industrial district);
* RM of Dundurn ($8,365 for a traffic awareness project, which includes the purchase of speed trackers to improve road safety).
“There are hundreds of municipalities in Saskatchewan, and every community has specific needs,” Minister Responsible for SGI Jeremy Harrison said. “These grants are extremely beneficial because they fund safety improvements directly identified by each community. Thank you to everyone who took the time to apply for these grants and for working to make your communities safer.”
Provincial Traffic Safety Fund grants are given to communities twice a year, using proceeds from Photo Speed Enforcement. Since the program was established in 2019, $13.1 million has been provided for 870 projects in Saskatchewan.
Eligible projects must focus on one of the following traffic safety issues: speeding, impaired driving, distracted driving, occupant protection, intersection safety, aggressive driving, vulnerable road users, or medically-at-risk drivers.
Applications are reviewed by a committee made up of representatives from the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association, the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, the Prince Albert Grand Council, the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Highways and SGI.
The Provincial Traffic Safety Fund Grant committee is accepting applications for the next round of funding. The deadline for applications is March 31, 2025. The City of Warman will be applying for a grant in the new round of funding.