Saskatoon freeway plan sparks debate at committee meeting

The Saskatoon freeway project - which was broken into three phases from the start – has been in the works since 1999. (City of Saskatoon)

While it's still in its preliminary stages, a plan to one day build a freeway around Saskatoon is attracting some criticism.

At a meeting of Saskatoon's transportation committee on Tuesday, city councillors considered a request from the province related to the proposed mega-project.

If built, the freeway would be a four-lane, 55-kilometre-long divided highway that starts south of the city on Highway 11 south of the city and would connect with Highway 16 northwest of Saskatoon.

The provincial government is asking city council to endorse the most recent study on the proposed freeway, which is focused on the section of freeway that would thread from the South Saskatchewan River to Highway 11 south of Saskatoon

Though council approval is not required, in a report, city administration said the show of support would give the Ministry of Highways and landowners who may one day be affected by the project more clarity about the future of the project.

But Derek Cameron, one of many who submitted emails against the project, argued councillors should withhold further approval for the proposed freeway which he said could cost billions over its lifetime.

"I will propose that we ditch the freeway and stop thinking of it as a 'freeway.' It's a bypass. It's designed to move people and their economic activity away from Saskatoon," he said.

Cameron, who is a PhD student at the University of Saskatchewan, estimated the proposed highway would take about $3 billion to build and maintain over its lifetime.

“I would still argue that 'nothing' is better than this freeway.; $3 billion could be used to double transit spending for 81 years, increasing the efficiency of Saskatoon roads,” Cameron told councillors at the meeting, estimating the freeway would have a 30-year lifespan before major work would be needed.

Cameron and others who wrote to councillors also expressed concern about the potential impact of the freeway on the ecologically sensitive Northeast Swale. 

“I think there's really been some ongoing interest in just knowing exactly how the swale would be impacted given we've got neighbourhoods built around it you know the integrity of that corridor is going to be ... important, over the long term life of (the freeway),” Mayor Charlie Clark said.

The fact the entire report wasn't yet available for councillors to review added another wrinkle.

"The recommendation is asking us to endorse a design report. But I don't actually see that report in our package," Ward 8 Coun. Serena Gersher noted.

A highways ministry representative at the meeting said councillors could be sent the full report ahead of its public release.

The committee voted unanimously to defer its decision on the report to provide councillors time to look over it. Councillors are expected to respond in March.

The Saskatoon freeway project - which was broken into three phases from the start – has been in the works since 1999.

In April 2022, council endorsed phase one of the plan which focused on the route from Highway 16 northwest of Saskatoon east to the South Saskatchewan River.

A few months before that vote, the province said it would postpone planning for phase three of the project, which would connect Highway 7 west of Saskatoon to Highway 16 northwest of the city.

However, Tuesday's city administration report to the committee said the province reversed course last September and said phase three planning would move forward.

The report noted this planning work is underway and should wrap up by the end of this year.