Still time to vote for the worst roads in Saskatchewan

Even though there just was a big snowfall in Saskatchewan, when it all starts to melt the roads may not look nice.

CAA Saskatchewan is still looking for nominations and votes for its Worst Roads Campaign.

The voting period ends on Tuesday, and the top-10 list will be released the next day.

So far, roads in Eston, Whitewood, Whitefox and Pilot Butte are contenders.

Angel Blair, a senior communication specialist for CAA, said the main reason some roads are so bad is because of the weather.

“We run the campaign in the spring because this is when we see all of the heaving (and) all of the potholes and the asphalt that crumbles. Everything pops up just with the thaw and the freeze. It’s a crazy time of year and it’s really hard on our roadways,” she said.

Blair said because Saskatchewan is a landlocked province, our roads are well-travelled.

“These roads are used and they are used by heavy equipment and people who have to commute. It’s just the way our life is and the province’s weather really affects our road,” she said.

According to Blair, there have been many stories about how badly some roads affect residents.

The main concern is safety.

Blair said while there is no big prize in this campaign, organizers do share the information with a variety of stakeholders.

“We share the results with SUMA, SARM, municipal leaders, Ministry of Highways, the heavy construction association — all stakeholders that can help in the quest to make the roads here in Saskatchewan safer,” she said.

Blair said while the end goal is to get the roads fixed, all CAA is really doing is asking for these partners to take a critical look at the roads.

“During many years of this campaign, a lot of these roads and these problems are not a surprise to them,” Blair said.

“But what happens is sometimes it does highlight some things that have been missed, or it really emphasizes that this is a concern of safety for the residents and they would like to see action.”