April 30, 2019

Bridge construction zone speeder in Saskatchewan sees $1,100 fine

As reported in the Nipawin News, as crews continue to work on the Nipawin bridge on Highway 55 near Nipawin, SK, the safety of the workers and travelers remains an ongoing issue.

One driver recently found out the hard way that tickets in a work zone are triple and was handed an $1,100 fine for excessively exceeding the 30 km/hr speed limit. That doesn’t include any penalties that may also be levied to them by SGI.

Even though they cannot be there all the time, Nipawin RCMP have, and will continue to be, present at the bridge. In addition to RCMP presence, work crews that witness traffic infractions or other dangerous driving can take down license plate numbers and provide a formal report to the RCMP. They are considered credible witnesses and their testimony can be used by the RCMP to issue tickets or press charges for more serious cases.

Speeding on the bridge, creates hazards for drivers and the work crews. The bridge surface is rough and a lot of drivers are focused on avoiding the drains along the outside, sometimes to the point that they come very close to the work crews. With the exception of on small spot with jersey (concrete) barriers in place, the only thing currently protecting these crews from traffic are delineator posts. Add that to the very narrow space in the construction area these crews have to work in and it’s not unusual for cars to be passing by within inches of those workers.

Going well under the 30 km/hr speed limit on the bridge can also create a hazard. The line of traffic has been held up by drivers traveling as slow as 10 km/hr across the bridge on numerous occasions. Sometimes it’s just a case of being overly cautious or drivers pulling trailers but the ripple effect of the line up of drivers being held back can cause frustrations to rise and it isn’t unusual to see the whole line feverishly racing past the slow driver as soon as they hit the double lanes again, which is still a 30 km/hr zone. This is dangerous as you exit the bridge from either side, but the traffic heading west is the extreme. On the west side there are two temporary roads that lead down to the crew base. Trucks, pedestrians and equipment can come up the bank at any time, which is why it is still considered part of the work zone and the 30 km/hr limit extends until you are a little ways up the hill.

Keep reading in the Nipawin News

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