Pilot Butte overpass opens 20 months ahead of schedule

PILOT BUTTE, SASK. — The Pilot Butte overpass in Saskatchewan officially opened recently, 20 months ahead of schedule and capping off another milestone of the larger Regina Bypass project.

According to a release from the province, the Pilot Butte overpass is a diverging diamond design and is the first to be built in Saskatchewan and only the second in Canada.

The interchange uses traffic signals to shift vehicles to the opposite side of the road over the interchange before crossing back at the next traffic signal, the release reads, which is meant to help maintain traffic flow.

“Improving safety through the corridor east of Regina is a priority of our government and we are pleased to be able to provide the residents of Pilot Butte with a safer access to their community earlier than expected,” Highways and Infrastructure Minister David Marit said in a statement. “Opening the Pilot Butte overpass more than a year-and-a-half ahead of schedule, while remaining on budget, shows the benefits and flexibility of using the P3 model.”

Public information sessions were held recently to create awareness and help educate people on how to navigate through the new diverging diamond interchange, the release adds.

REGINA BYPASS — The Pilot Butte overpass in Saskatchewan officially opened recently, 20 months ahead of schedule. The overpass is a diverging diamond design and is the first to be built in Saskatchewan and only the second in Canada.

“We have been eagerly waiting for a design that addresses firstly and most importantly traffic safety, and secondly to increase access and flow of traffic,” said Pilot Butte Mayor Peggy Chorney.

“We recognize that the design is new to many drivers, but anticipate fewer collisions since turning vehicles no longer have to cross traffic.”

It’s the safety component that matters most to Wanda Campbell. Her son Lane Campbell Antosh lost his life in a fatal collision on Aug. 9, 2013.

“The completion of the Pilot Butte overpass comes with mixed emotions,” Wanda Campbell added. “The probability of a fatal or severe accident will be significantly reduced, providing safe access for our communities. The words ‘be safe crossing the highway’ will no longer have to be said by parents to their children. That is a comfort to me, knowing (my son) Lane’s legacy will save lives.”
The Regina Bypass is the largest transportation infrastructure project in Saskatchewan’s history.

The federal government, through PPP Canada, is spending up to $200 million on the project.