Meet the $2 billion 'Saskatoon Freeway' proposal
ALEX MACPHERSON, SASKATOON STARPHOENIX
More from Alex MacPherson, Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Published on: December 2, 2015 | Last Updated: December 2, 2015 1:25 PM CST
The provincial government has replaced its plan to build a massive highway encircling Saskatoon with a more modest proposal: a freeway running three-quarters of the way around the city and a “major arterial” linking Highways 11 and 16 in the north with Highway 7 in the west.
The proposed perimeter highway has been scaled back and renamed the Saskatoon Freeway. It is now expected to run counter-clockwise from Highways 7 and 14 in the west over a northern river crossing and terminate at Highway 11 in the south.
“What we found through our studies is right now, and well into the future, there isn’t really a sound business case for the southwest portion of the freeway,” said Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure spokesman Doug Wakabayashi.
“Even with the projected growth in traffic volumes that we anticipate over (the next 30 to 40 years), there still would be significant excess capacity on South Circle Drive and the new bridge.”
Wakabayashi would not rule out planning to complete the circle sometime the future, but said there is no “positive” case for it right now.
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http://thestarphoenix.com/business/l...eeway-proposal
Credit Greg Pender
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