Spring is in the air, and back by popular demand is the CAA Worst Roads campaign which started on April 4, 2023. Now into week two of the annual advocacy and safety campaign, we can see that Saskatchewan road users including cyclists, pedestrians, motorcyclists, transit riders, and motorists have identified their worst, unsafe roads.

The current CAA Top 10 Worst Roads list, which includes a collection of municipal roads and highways from across the province, is located here.

CAA Worst Roads Roving Reporter Angel Blair’s interview with road users and residents of Springside, Saskatchewan is featured on Tuesday, April 11. Those interviewed share their safety concerns about Highway 47 near Springside which placed second in the 2022 and 2018 CAA Worst Roads campaigns. They have stated that they are not surprised about Highway 47 taking second place. Problems such as potholes and lack of shoulder space still exist, they admit, for this busy highway. One concerned citizen remarked that he prefers using the gravel road to pull his camper because the highway is too rough and dangerous.

Highway 47 - Photo credit: Angel Blair

Watch the Highway 47 Springside Video

On Thursday, April 13, Angel Blair interviews Tom Lees, Assistant Deputy Minister with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways. Lees provides updates on previous CAA Worst Roads - Highway 9 Hudson Bay (#3 in 2022 and in 2021, and #5 in 2018) and Saskatchewan 155 La Loche (#4 in 2022 and #1 in 2017).

Highway 9, Hudson Bay - Photo credit: Dale Edward Johnson

Future interviews with Angel Blair are scheduled weekly on the CAA Saskatchewan YouTube channel to spotlight roads that made the 2022 CAA Top 10 Worst Roads list including: Moose Jaw’s 4th Avenue Viaduct which placed #7; Saskatoon’s Circle Drive which was #6 in the 2022 campaign; and Regina’s Mayfair Crescent which was the #1 CAA Worst Road in 2022, Grant Drive which placed #8 in 2022, #6 in 2021, and #8 in 2019. In the 2022 CAA Worst Roads campaign, Regina’s Ingersoll Crescent placed 9th.

CAA Saskatchewan’s social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn will be utilized to promote the campaign for worst roads nominations and votes.

Nominating and voting for the worst, unsafe roads you’ve recently travelled on is easy. Here’s how:

1. Click caask.ca/worstroads.
2. Select a road - municipal or provincial - and a specific segment or section.
3. Identify what type of road user you are – motorist, cyclist, motorcyclist, pedestrian, or transit rider. Select the "problem" from the provided drop-down menu.
4. Road users can vote as more than one type of road user every 24 hours.
5. The CAA Worst Roads site includes a Google Map Locater that will visualize vote distribution across the province. It will pinpoint the current locations of the nominated roads that are receiving votes.
6. Potholes and crumbling pavement have been the most prominent safety issues during the CAA Worst Roads campaigns. However, cracks, general disrepair, poor signage, congestion, and unsafe infrastructure have also been identified by road users.
7. Vote now until April 25. CAA’s 2023 Top Ten Worst Roads will be announced on April 26, 2023.

CAA Worst Roads is an online engagement campaign aimed at drawing attention to our province’s worst, unsafe roads. At the end of the campaign, the top ten list is distributed to government and business leaders in hopes of sparking conversation and action.

Working towards better roads and safety for all road users is a priority for CAA Saskatchewan.

Christine Niemczyk,
Director, Corporate Communications & Public Relations
306.791.4327
christine.niemczyk@caask.ca