Regina Bypass Thread

[Stormer]

There are essentially the 2 types of ponds. Ponds that are deeper than the water table and are therefore full of water and ponds that may not be below the water table but hold water/runoff because the bottom is clay.

If the pit reaches a porous layer above the water table, the water will seep out.

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

I wonder how deep they would have to go to reach bedrock.

I understand the deepest bedrock around regina is at about 500 ft. But in some places it is very near the surface. This is not you classic granite like bedrock, but rather a type of shale.

[thefourthtower]

http://leaderpost.com/news/local-new...ll-along-route
Just over one year since the Saskatchewan government signed a $1.88-billion public-private partnership contract for the Regina bypass project, reporter Natascia Lypny got a chance to tour the province’s largest transportation project in history.

On time, on budget

[BrutallyDishonest2]

Originally Posted by thefourthtower

http://leaderpost.com/news/local-new...ll-along-route
Just over one year since the Saskatchewan government signed a $1.88-billion public-private partnership contract for the Regina bypass project, reporter Natascia Lypny got a chance to tour the province’s largest transportation project in history.

On time, on budget

This is an extremely interesting article. Primarily because what I've heard from people involved with peripheral elements of the bypass is completely different.

I've been hearing the bypass is massively over budget and there is a clause in the contract which makes the province pay 50% of overages. I've heard that many, many aspects are behind schedule.

Most disturbingly I've also heard that the contract isn't that iron clad and the way that the Bypass Group has arranged the companies in to separate areas (construction, maintenance, etc) it makes a massive liability if they decide to go "bankrupt".

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by BrutallyDishonest2

This is an extremely interesting article. Primarily because what I've heard from people involved with peripheral elements of the bypass is completely different.

I've been hearing the bypass is massively over budget and there is a clause in the contract which makes the province pay 50% of overages. I've heard that many, many aspects are behind schedule.

Most disturbingly I've also heard that the contract isn't that iron clad and the way that the Bypass Group has arranged the companies in to separate areas (construction, maintenance, etc) it makes a massive liability if they decide to go "bankrupt".

I was talking with one of the engineering firms involved and the ability to do road construction throughout last "winter" allowed them to get a pretty good leg up on the schedule.

But it is never as good as some people say and it is never as bad as other people say.

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by BrutallyDishonest2

This is an extremely interesting article. Primarily because what I've heard from people involved with peripheral elements of the bypass is completely different.

I've been hearing the bypass is massively over budget and there is a clause in the contract which makes the province pay 50% of overages. I've heard that many, many aspects are behind schedule.

Most disturbingly I've also heard that the contract isn't that iron clad and the way that the Bypass Group has arranged the companies in to separate areas (construction, maintenance, etc) it makes a massive liability if they decide to go "bankrupt".

There are only extremely limited items that the province could be on the hook for. Also because the consortium also finances it, the institutions who lent the money to them would have to pay someone else to finish the project in the unlikely event the consortium went under. Otherwise the lenders would not get their money back over the next 30 years.

[rrskylar]

Really don't get how spending close to $2B on a by-pass for a city of 200K makes sense. Couldn't they have twinned Tower road and then built a new divided highway (old #16 route) that would reconnect to the TCH just before #6? Seems like overkill to me!

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

Really don't get how spending close to $2B on a by-pass for a city of 200K makes sense. Couldn't they have twinned Tower road and then built a new divided highway (old #16 route) that would reconnect to the TCH just before #6? Seems like overkill to me!

Definitely the Cadillac option was chosen. There are interchanges being built at locations where literally nothing exists at present. It must be the Field of Dreams strategy

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by Stormer

Definitely the Cadillac option was chosen. There are interchanges being built at locations where literally nothing exists at present. It must be the Field of Dreams strategy

Looks even worse with oil and commodities tanking , hindsight is 20/20 but still.....

[Stormer]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

Looks even worse with oil and commodities tanking , hindsight is 20/20 but still.....

Yes with historically low interest rates and the Province's AAA credit rating they were seduced into buying a bigger "house" than they need right now.

The silver lining is that the work is really propping up the local economy.

[Thatsmebqt]

Are those last two cameras actually operating? I saw them for a couple of days, a couple of times and haven't seen them since.

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

2 more cameras added
Pinkie Rd and TCH
Highway 11

I think the next one will be at Highway 6 south

[Thatsmebqt]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

Really don't get how spending close to $2B on a by-pass for a city of 200K makes sense. Couldn't they have twinned Tower road and then built a new divided highway (old #16 route) that would reconnect to the TCH just before #6? Seems like overkill to me!

A) Because the stretch from Balgonie to Tower Road was starting to resemble the stretch of the TCH from Headingly to Winnipeg. (How much will the Headingly bypass cost, relative to the population of Headingly?) Interchanges east of Regina were long overdue and one could argue that the cost of that portion of the project should be broken out from the overall cost.
B) Because existing cloverleaf at Hwy 6 south is too small to handle 2 trailer, and eventually 3 trailer, LCV truck/trailer combinations.
C) Because all of the "new road" portions of the bypass are being built to "freeway standard", including 3 meter wide, outside shoulders, etc. I suspect if you check, you'll find that the Headingly bypass is also being designed to conform to, "freeway standard".

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by Thatsmebqt

Are those last two cameras actually operating? I saw them for a couple of days, a couple of times and haven't seen them since.

I noticed that as well. I imagine they'll be back up sometime in the future.

[jigglysquishy]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

Really don't get how spending close to $2B on a by-pass for a city of 200K makes sense. Couldn't they have twinned Tower road and then built a new divided highway (old #16 route) that would reconnect to the TCH just before #6? Seems like overkill to me!

I think it's very telling that the Ministry of Highways recommended against it, but the political masters did it anyways.

Most wasteful infrastructure project in provincial history.

[Festivus]

Originally Posted by jigglysquishy

I think it's very telling that the Ministry of Highways recommended against it, but the political masters did it anyways.

Most wasteful infrastructure project in provincial history.

I think I'd use the phrase "most overkill" instead (though it's just semantics). The bypass was needed to take trucks off of Vic East, and the overpasses were needed on the #1 East of Regina. But I do agree it would have made sense to simply connect it to the existing Ring Rd south of Saskpolytechnic. You wouldn't even need an interchange, just on/off ramps from the East. And then an interchange south of the GTH as well, as they built it.

[Treesplease]

Originally Posted by jigglysquishy

Most wasteful infrastructure project in provincial history.

It may prove to be a wasteful project if dept. of highways starts allowing at grade access points along the route to appease commerical interests as they did in the past which ultimately led to this mess.

I think all the work on the east side was necessary and needed to be built but the western portions.......are a bit .......lavish.

[djforsberg]

Was the US Interstate system a waste of money? (City-dividing aside) Just like with the new Mosaic Stadium, I couldn't see a project like this happen for a relatively cheaper cost anytime in the near future (assuming interest rates eventually do rise back up). We still have the lowest debt per capita of any province in Canada (Alberta must have recently surpassed us) ref.

[Treesplease]

Originally Posted by djforsberg

We still have the lowest debt per capita of any province in Canada (Alberta must have recently surpassed us) ref.

dafuq? when did that happen? Alberta must have borrowed a butt load of money in the last budget. Thanks for posting that.

The money they raked in from 2007 to 2015 and poof gone. wow. Mind you gas is their biggest resource earner and that peaked and came down quick with fracking.

[djforsberg]

Originally Posted by Treesplease

dafuq? when did that happen? Alberta must have borrowed a butt load of money in the last budget. Thanks for posting that.

The money they raked in from 2007 to 2015 and poof gone. wow. Mind you gas is their biggest resource earner and that peaked and came down quick with fracking.

It must have happened since the Sask budget came out because I was looking at the debt clocks earlier this year and we were still behind Alberta for lowest then.

[jigglysquishy]

Originally Posted by djforsberg

Was the US Interstate system a waste of money? (City-dividing aside) Just like with the new Mosaic Stadium, I couldn't see a project like this happen for a relatively cheaper cost anytime in the near future (assuming interest rates eventually do rise back up). We still have the lowest debt per capita of any province in Canada (Alberta must have recently surpassed us) ref.

The Ministry of Highways recommended the project wasn't needed until beyond 2050 and that the three interchanges would suffice.

There's no need for for, no engineer or planner recommended it, and it went through purely for political points.