Water main maintenance project starting on College Drive; lane restrictions in place

Drivers will notice lane restrictions on College Drive this week. Crews are laying down temporary above-ground water lines next to the road in preparation for what is anticipated to be a months-long water main maintenance project between Cumberland Avenue and Clarence Avenue. The project will begin next week and wrap up in October. 

“Maintenance work on water mains under this section of College Drive is required to continue providing reliable water service,” says Terry Schmidt, General Manager of Transportation and Construction. “The planned maintenance work is a trenchless method where pits are dug at various locations on College Drive, and plastic tubing is inserted into the existing water main to extend the lifespan.”   

The project will be phased and completed block-by-block with pits dug in various spots within each work zone. Two-way traffic will always be maintained, however, there will be lane restrictions. Schmidt says drivers can expect delays while this important water infrastructure work takes place.  

“Access points to the University of Saskatchewan, Royal University Hospital and Saskatchewan Cancer Centre are located along College Drive. There will be no access restrictions, however, due to anticipated traffic delays, we encourage anyone visiting these locations between now and October to take note and consider allowing extra travel time. From time to time, pedestrians may also be redirected to cross College Drive at different locations.” 

To see where current road restrictions are on College Drive, and on other priority Saskatoon roadways during the 2024 construction season, residents can check and/or subscribe to the City’s Daily Road Report. Saskatoon Transit will be affected. Transit service alerts and real-time bus information are available on third-party apps like Transit and Google Maps Transit.  

Work zones are clearly marked with orange signs and pylons. Drivers are asked to slow down, pay attention, and watch for workers. 

For more information on this and other upcoming water main and road related construction projects this year, visit saskatoon.ca/construction.