The provincial government and rural municipalities are working to lift spring road bans on select Saskatchewan roads to move agricultural goods.
Highways minister Greg Ottenbreit said the ministry and Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities are choosing roads that can handle secondary weights to move priority goods.
This includes seed, grain, livestock, livestock feed, fertilizer, farm fuel, groceries, potable water delivery, garbage pickup and septic removal.
“We just felt we need to be kind of flexible,” Ottenbreit said. “Each RM is able to opt in or opt out.”
Other roads that are subject to the usual weight restrictions at this time of year will remain under the usual bans.
Ottenbreit said the roads with lifted bans will be monitored for damage and weight restrictions could be re-applied if damage occurs.
He said a backlog in grain movement exists and this should ease the situation.
Truckers should check the seasonal trucking weights orders, which are updated each Tuesday and Friday on Saskatchewan.ca, to find out which roads are exempted from bans.
SARM president Ray Orb encouraged RMs to work with highway officials to determine if local roads can handle the same weights as highways and establish routes that ensure access to farms and other facilities.
Highways has also waived permit requirements for priority goods for this year only.
Contact karen.briere@producer.com
