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REGINA — CAA's top 10 worst roads in Saskatchewan have been announced. And the “winners” are:

1. Mayfair Crescent, Regina

2. Saskatchewan 47, Springside (No. 2 in 2018)

3. Highway 9, Hudson Bay (No. 3 in 2021 and No. 5 in 2018)

4. Saskatchewan 155, La Loche (No.1 in 2017)

5. Saskatchewan 5, Buchanan

6. Circle Drive, Saskatoon

7. 4th Avenue Viaduct S.W., Moose Jaw

8. Grant Drive, Regina (No. 6 in 2021 and No. 8 in 2019)

9. Ingersoll Crescent, Regina

10. 9th Avenue S.W., Moose Jaw (No. 10 in 2018)

CAA’s 2022 Worst Roads campaign took place from April 6 to 30. Saskatchewan road users including motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, runners, transit users, and motorcyclists were invited to nominate and vote for worst, unsafe highways, municipal or residental roads. Voting took place online with one vote per road per email every 24 hours. Road users could vote as more than one type of road user. Photos of worst roads were also accepted.

Since the start of this year’s campaign, Dale Edward Johnson, CAA’s Worst Roads Roving Reporter has interviewed road users from across Saskatchewan about previously nominated worst roads. Johnson has also provided status updates when reporting from worst, unsafe roads including Regina’s Grant Drive and 8th Avenue North, Highway 33 near Kronau, Highway 9 near Canora, Highway 3 near Hudson Bay, Saskatoon’s 20th Street West and 52nd Street, and Highway 9, Hudson Bay. Johnson’s stand up reports and Streeter interviews can be viewed on CAA Saskatchewan’s YouTube Channel.

The major road issues reported during the 2022 campaign included potholes, unpaved roads, poor road maintenance, followed by poor road signs or road markings and traffic congestion. The focus of this year’s campaign was defining worst roads as unsafe roads for all types of road users.

Several factors can cause deterioration of our roads - everything from weather conditions, age of the roads, heavy traffic, and lack of maintenance. In cold climates like Saskatchewan, the freeze-thaw cycle plays a key role in creating potholes – a problem that occurs when temperatures regularly go above and below the freezing point. When rain or snow seeps through cracks and openings in the pavement, it freezes and expands, causing the pavement to heave upward. Then as temperatures rise, the ground underneath the pavement returns to its normal level, leaving a cavity or hole which breaks apart with continued use of vehicles driving over the fractured pavement.

Repair bills resulting from unsafe roads can be costly for owners of vehicles, motorcycles, and bicycles. According to CAA’s Cost of Poor Roads in Canada Study, the average Canadian driver pays an extra $126 per year, which over a 10-year period of a car’s lifespan, adds up to around $1,260. In Saskatchewan, the average annual cost per driver is $97 and totals just under $1,000 in a 10-year period. Repairing roads before they can deteriorate saves money for all road users and governments.

Saskatchewan is a landlocked province and has almost 230,000 km of roads, the highest length of road surface compared to any other province. These roads are used on a regular basis for business and leisure road travel and when these roads are allowed to deteriorate, road users pay the price.

CAA Worst Roads is an online engagement campaign aimed at drawing attention to our province’s worst, unsafe roads. The 2022 top 10 roads worst roads list will be distributed to government and business leaders in hopes of sparking conversation and action. Working towards safer roads for all road users is a priority for CAA Saskatchewan.