The speed limit on the Trans-Canada Highway will be reduced to 80 kilometres an hour between Regina and Balgonie by mid-October as construction of a new bypass begins.
Work has also begun on a new south service road near Pilot Butte to provide an alternate route to Regina that won’t require traffic from Emerald Park and White City to turn left onto Highway 1.
“As this historic project gets underway, Highway 1 east of Regina will become a very large and busy work zone,” Saskatchewan Highways and Infrastructure Minister Nancy Heppner said in a news release Wednesday.
“There will be delays, but we will focus on moving traffic smoothly and safely. We appreciate your patience as we work to get this much-needed infrastructure in place.
The east portion of the Regina bypass, including overpasses at White City and Balgonie, is expected to be complete in fall 2017. The rest of the project, including an overpass near Pilot Butte, is slated for completion in fall 2019.
The bypass will include 40 kilometres of new highway, four lanes wide, and 12 overpasses. The cost of the project is currently pegged at $1.88 billion.
In June 2014, the province reduced the speed limit from 110 to 90 kilometres an hour on Highway 1 from the Pilot Butte turnoff to just east of White City. Since then, there have been calls for traffic lights to further improve safety along the high-collision corridor.
