Saskatoon commuters adjust to long-term traffic restrictions on College Drive

Construction season has officially begun in Saskatoon, with both the city and citizens reacting to traffic delays. Hallee Mandryk has the story.

Construction season is well underway in Saskatoon, and especially for those travelling on College Drive, the traffic restrictions can be challenging.

“If you typically travel down that corridor, It’s closed right now,” said Nathalie Baudais, engineering manager with the City of Saskatoon’s transportation department.

“College Drive is scheduled to open to all traffic, one lane in each direction around mid-June. And the work on the bridge should be done at the same time.”

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The traffic restrictions are a result of two different construction projects: a $1.5 million repair on and under the University Bridge, and the $50 million Link project, preparing College Drive for the upcoming rapid transit program.

One woman walking through the area told CTV News the traffic restrictions are wearing on her patience.

“It’s annoying. Like when I am driving, I cannot stand that, all the merges and stuff like that and the slowness on Circle Drive and all that. But yeah, I’m sure others are in the same boat as I am,” she said.

Baudais shared that the City does plan to alter the timing of some traffic lights to mitigate the congestion.

“We wait a few days, see how people plan their route and adjust to the changes, and then we go in and make adjustments,” said Baudais.

“So one of the changes we’re making, shortly is at Broadway Avenue and 12th Street to allow more time for that southbound left turn. So we do adjust signal timings, but we do it reactively after people have adjusted.”

While some are already feeling the construction fatigue, another pedestrian CTV News spoke to Tuesday says she’s come to accept the delays that come along with infrastructure upgrades.

“I feel like this is just part of the seasons in Saskatoon. So I think we’re pretty used to it, and I see the benefits long-term of doing this kind of work,” she said.

While University Bridge is closed to all traffic except for emergency vehicles and city buses, the pedestrian walkway across the bridge will remain open throughout the road work.

Baudais had some advice for drivers who have to travel through the construction.

“Follow the traffic control signage, the detour accommodation, and be patient. Give a little grace to the people around you. Everybody’s adjusting, so making sure you give them extra space to let people in if they’re trying to merge. Braking for pedestrians, you know, just general courtesy,” he noted.

The University Bridge project is expected to be completed in mid-June, and the work on College Drive is expected to finish as students return to class in the fall.

“We have a lot of capacity on the other bridges,” Baudais said.

“So, if people can consider alternate routes rather than sticking to what they’re familiar with...There’s many ways to get across the river. So explore different options.”