Murray Wood: Who's hot... and who's not
Every Friday, Murray Wood takes a look at the week's news and decides who's hot... and who's not. This week's list inclu...
Charges have been laid against the operator of the semi truck carrying a large excavator that hit and damaged the Highway 16 overpass at Highway 11 in Saskatoon on March 5.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Community Safety, Saskatchewan Highway Patrol charged the person with six offences, including damage to public improvement, driving with undo care and attention, operating with a major defect, brakes out of adjustment, exceeding maximum height restrictions and failure to comply with conditions of a permit.
The Ministry said charges in the March 11, 2026 incident at the 108th Street overpass in which another flat bed semi-truck carrying an excavator were also laid by Saskatoon Police, however those details have not yet been confirmed by the police service.
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In a statement shared on March 12, Cindy Yelland, City of Saskatoon solicitor, said “It will be the City’s intention to pursue all legal avenues to collect damages for the two recent incidents. This can either be through restitution imposed by a court based on an offence or through a civil litigation claim.”
On March 6, Dan Willems, City of Saskatoon director of technical services, spoke candidly about the frustration with the driver involved in the first incident.
“Signage apparently didn’t help this blockhead realize he was going to cause significant damage and he didn’t have a permit,” Willems told reporters at City Hall in Saskatoon on March 6.
The city also said engineers have estimated damage to that Highway 16 overpass at $400,000 dollars.
Eastbound traffic restrictions are are still in place in the area, while traffic restrictions near the 108th Street overpass on Circle Drive were lifted on March 12. A damage estimate is not yet available for the 108th Street overpass.
The names of the companies or the drivers involved have not yet been released.
Traffic Restrictions to begin on Highway 11 northbound March 17
According to a news release issued late Friday afternoon, repairs to the Highway 16/Circle Drive overpass will begin on Tuesday, March 17.
Barring any adverse weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances, the repairs to the overpass are expected to take about four weeks.
Northbound traffic on Highway 11 will be reduced to one lane for the duration of the repairs. Highway 16 eastbound traffic on the overpass will remain reduced to a single lane until repairs are completed. All ramps on the overpass will remain open.
