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By Alice McFarlane

Road Ban Exemptions

Agriculture products included in road ban exemptions

Apr 17, 2020 | 5:57 PM

The provincial government along with the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) have introduced road ban exemptions for agriculture products.

Highways and Infrastructure Minister Greg Ottenbreit said farmers are facing many challenges so they collaborated to lift spring road bans for priority goods.

“We have been working with SARM and the R.M.s to provide consent to determine which roads can handle secondary weights,” Ottenbreit said in a news release. “At the same time, we will work with these municipalities to monitor roads to prevent unnecessary road damage.”

Priority goods include agricultural seed, grain, livestock and livestock feed, fertilizer and farm fuel.

Delivery of groceries and potable water, garbage pickup and septic removal are also considered priority items.

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Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit said the sector is facing a number of challenges including finishing combining.

“This measure will help producers finish last year’s harvest, market last year’s crop, and get this year’s crop in the ground,” Marit said. “We are here to assist our producers.”

SARM President Ray Orb said producers are currently in need of critical supplies such as seed and fuel.

“We are encouraging R.M.s to work with highway officials to determine whether or not to allow the same weights on their local roads,” Orb said. “This will be important to ensure trucks have access to farms and other facilities once they leave provincial highways.”

Adjusting weight limits will require close monitoring by highway and municipal officials to ensure that if conditions change or if road damage occurs, weight restrictions can be re-applied to ensure road safety and minimize the need for costly repairs.

Shippers are reminded to check to ensure they understand what restrictions are in place on provincial roads. Official spring restriction orders are issued every Tuesday and Friday during the ban period.

This year only, there will be no permit requirements for priority goods. Routes will be determined in collaboration with local authorities and based on local conditions.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF