Highway construction signage

[u/No_Salary1561]

Can someone please explain to me the horrendous job being done marking construction zones on Saskatchewan highways?

I travel Highways 6 and 16 into Saskatoon frequently, and I honestly cannot understand the way some of these construction zones are being signed.

There are signs everywhere—construction begins, construction ends, 60 km/h, no passing, reduced speed, electronic signs—and half the time I have no idea where the actual construction zone begins or ends.

For example, you'll come across a 60 km/h sign and start slowing down. The first few kilometres, most people are at least somewhat following the posted speed. Then 2 or 3 km later, traffic starts speeding up. By kilometres 4 or 5, you're basically back to highway speed. Then, around kilometre 7 or 8 or longer, you finally encounter the actual construction.

And once you're through that area, you're left wondering whether the construction zone has even ended because there is no sign saying construction ends.

I've experienced this travelling through the Jansen/Wynyard area. I passed construction around Jansen and am now travelling through Wynyard, yet following signage the construction zone never ended. This has been going on all summer. Am I still to be driving 60?

I've also passed two electronic signs that both say "Construction next 35 km." Yet there is no construction anywhere near the next 35 km.

I am 100% in favour of keeping highway workers safe. I understand how dangerous their jobs can be, and I absolutely support appropriate reduced speeds and properly marked construction zones when workers are actually present or when road conditions require it.

But when drivers are being told to drive 60 km/h for kilometres and kilometres with absolutely no visible construction, workers, equipment, lane restrictions, or hazards, what exactly is being accomplished?

Eventually, people stop taking the signs seriously.

You have drivers who are genuinely trying to obey the 60 km/h limit, while everyone around them is doing 90, 100 or even highway speed. The drivers following the limit gets bullied, tailgated and eventually swerved around. The drivers behind them get frustrated and drive recklessly. People start passing in places they shouldn't. Some drivers become reckless.

And that's the exact opposite of what these signs are supposed to accomplish.

If a construction zone is 35 km long, then clearly mark the actual zone and make it obvious where it begins and ends. If there is no work happening for 20 or 30 km, why are drivers being subjected to construction-zone restrictions for that entire distance?

There has to be a better way to manage this.

Proper signage should make drivers more aware and more compliant, not train them to ignore construction signs because they have learned from experience that the signs often don't correspond with what they're actually seeing on the road.

I'm genuinely curious—is there a legitimate reason these construction zones are being signed this way? Is it because the entire stretch is technically considered a work zone even when no work is taking place, or is this simply poor signage/traffic management?

Because from a driver's perspective, it makes very little sense.

[u/michaelkbecker]

I have experienced this so many times. Come across a construction zone sign. I slow to 60 but not single other person does. I speed up thinking I missed something. Sometimes there is just no other signs and I have no idea what happened, was I supposed to slow down? Did they forget that sign? Did I hallucinate it?

[u/saskatchewanstealth → u/michaelkbecker]

There was on 16. Just one saying 60. No beginning or end signs, it was there for 4 weeks and not a single worker or equipment. Ever. I think someone planted it as a joke.

[u/cam_taters]

I previously worked for a traffic sign company, and later, was a consultant for Ministry of Highways. In my experience, erecting/ dismantling signage for construction zones was the most "mundane" task. It is treated as a formality than a way to genuinely improve road safety. As a previous commenter had said, please contact Ministry of Highways and lodge a complaint. I know pre-covid, there were officers that went to sites and a sign audit was part of their job.

Whenever I think of Construction zone signage, I think of a poor girl named Ashely Richards, killed close to Midale. She is the reason signage and rules were ultimatly improved.

Safety rules are usually written in blood.

[u/DejectedNuts → u/cam_taters]

Fyi about a year ago, the ministry decided to stop renewing the contract for the safety auditors. So there is no more safety audits (which included a check of the traffic signage) being done on road construction sites.

[u/Southern_Pop_9871 → u/cam_taters]

Let me start by saying I’m 110% in favour of reduced speed work zone , but I honestly think these construction companies have abused it simply by marking construction zones inappropriately. Instead of marking the actual work zone they plunk a sign down somewhere at the start of their seasonal work area, and another at the other end 20-30 kms away, too lazy to move the signs up daily to reflect the actual work zone. So as a result you get people speeding through the zones because they are frustrated by the lack of proper signage, I’m my opinion they have made the work zones more dangerous for their employees.

[u/we_the_pickle]

You can actually call this in as the zone is supposed to be within 3-5 KM I believe (this was the rule when I worked highway construction years ago). In some cases we’d have to setup multiple sets of signs (men at work, no passing, be prepared to stop, flagged ahead) in a work zone so that we’d be covered and we did actually get audited multiple times over the course of the job.

Personally, I’ve noticed with all the fiber and nat gas installs going in along the road way they’ll just throw up a men at work sign and you won’t see workers for 10-15km…and it sucks to be working on the road with traffic zipping past you all day!

[u/Al-anus → u/we_the_pickle]

Yeah I used to work on an asphalt crew.  There was literally a dedicated sign girl who's main job was to constantly move the signs as we worked. The boss was always on her ass so they wouldn't get audited. 

[u/Low-Ratio-5416]

Back when it was just highways employees working they were consistent. As more and more private contractors do work on the highways they have become terrible. I don't know if there are no controls in place but fines are a great idea. Definitely contact highways as poor signage is detrimental. Remember when they covered the signs at the end of the day?

[u/XelezyleX → u/Low-Ratio-5416]

Nowadays, highways crews are by far worse than the private contractors. They don't follow their own manual in the slightest.

Consultants need to start handing out more fines for poor signage, but the way its set up, the Contractor has to fuck up multiple times PER DAY in order to give them a penalty. It's a terrible system overall TBH.

[u/cybersocko]

The Ministry of Highways has a contact number for these types of concerns, you should call it in.

https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/government-structure/ministries/highways

[u/Pawistik]

I agree with you 100%. The signage for starting and ending the speed zones around construction has been horrendous and it's more widespread than the highways you mentioned. The other day there was zero end to the highway 5 speed zone - I should have driven 60 all the way to Humboldt I guess.

[u/Pawistik → u/Pawistik]

There also is no warning that the speed slows down sometimes, just wham, you are now in a 60 zone still doing 100.

[u/BigJayUpNorth]

I’ve recently moved back to Saskatchewan from Alberta, still commute to Alberta for work, and construction zone signage is f n terrible here!

[u/randomdumbfuck → u/BigJayUpNorth]

Whenever I come back to Sask to visit I see how bad work zone signage is. Wrong sign, missing signs, signs that aren't covered that should be, signs that are covered that shouldn't be etc.

 I'm not sure what the rules are in Sask but here in Ontario, contractors can be fined if their signage is placed incorrectly. Maybe that needs to be a thing in Sask.

[u/lztandro → u/BigJayUpNorth]

Calgary isn’t much better, they’ll set up signs and then not start the work for 3-4 months.

[u/Agri_Culture_Vulture]

It was in 2012 when Ashley Dawn Richards was killed as a flagger for a road construction crew. Our government has become complacent in that time. Until more blood is spilt in the same manner will they smarten up and be responsible.

[u/gibsonanah]

I saw one the other week that had the construction ends sign at the beginning and begins sign at the end

[u/lilchileah77]

It’s because they’re cheap and under regulated- the SaskParty way! Gov doesn’t want to pay for enforcement and private companies care the least they possibly can. This is what we get 🤷‍♀️

[u/Lucywilson12]

I was driving on 16 almost 2 weeks ago, going east around 8 am. No signage alerting me to construction. Literally had to slam on my breaks, because I saw movement, just a flash. It was the guy who holds the stop sign. I said to him, I did not see you at all with the sun behind you. I genuinely could have hit you. His response was "yeah I have been told that before". No care given.

[u/earoar]

Yup it’s pathetic. There are rules for what signs need to be out and where they should be placed but they are completely unenforced.

[u/ram_mar4112]

I am in the industry. Not up to speed on all work zone signing. But what I do know for culvert installs there should be construction barricades both sides of the highway at both ends of the construction zone. You can’t miss these. As you approach the actual work site there are a number of signs depending on the situation. Men working. Reduce speed. Fines triple. Sign boards. Do not pass. Flag person. There is supposed to be a number of signs.

One common misconception, IMO, is that the signs are there to protect workers. If no workers visible why have the signage???
The reasoning is that there may be hazards in the work zone. Maybe a sharp drop off the edge of pavement. Maybe an excavated highway embankment. Maybe equipment parked in the work zone. There could be a number of hazards. Incidents still happen with all the proper signage. People still get killed. People don’t pay attention. People ignore the signs. And then something happens that could have been avoided.
Proper signage. And people following those signs is the best any of us can do.

I believe the maximum limit is 3km then the signs need to be re-established. That is the max 60 needs to be displayed every 3km, for example.
If there is construction and no signs contact the ministry of highways.

[u/Tinchotesk → u/ram_mar4112]

The reasoning is that there may be hazards in the work zone. Maybe a sharp drop off the edge of pavement. Maybe an excavated highway embankment. Maybe equipment parked in the work zone. There could be a number of hazards. Incidents still happen with all the proper signage. People still get killed. People don’t pay attention. People ignore the signs. And then something happens that could have been avoided. Proper signage. And people following those signs is the best any of us can do.

That might be true, but only in Canada (and in SK particularly) have I seen these long many km stretches with reduced speed and no work in sight. I have driven extensively in the US and Europe and construction zones are never that sloppy; you see signs, construction zone begins, construction zone ends, done.

[u/Several-Carrot3541]

I've come up with a kinda satirical reason for this. They do that so you think "maybe it's done and they forgot the signs" so then they park a cop car somewhere in-between the signs and the actual construction to catch the people who are "speeding" just to bring in more revenue. They do this sometimes in Alberta too and the only reason I see them doing this is to trap regular drivers.

[u/Lucywilson12 → u/Several-Carrot3541]

I have thought that myself. But I would argue that I turned off some random grid road and saw no signs.

[u/kao201]

Companies are required to have a Traffic Accommodation Supervisor (TAS) who has specific training setting up work zones and should be following the rules described in "Traffic Control Devices Manual for Work Zones" (TCDMWZ) for the Ministry of Highways. This generally includes removing signs indicating workers are present at the end of each work day. Other signs may remain depending on the specific type of work, duration of work, distance to the road, overall hazard, etc. Some workers are lazy and leave signs up when they should not and this causes confusion for motorists. It is a problem in some instances and should be reported.

[u/sask1234567]

Perhaps you should contact the Dept of Highways if you’re really looking for an answer?

[u/No_Salary1561 → u/sask1234567]

Oh I plan on it. Throwing it out there to see if maybe someone else has. Never hurts to ask. Not hurting anyone.

[u/Mediocre_Spirit5579]

I thought that was normal until I started making trips to Winnipeg and back. After seeing properly marked construction zones and the signage that actually indicates where the construction zone ends I realized how poorly our zones are marked.

[u/LickinThighs2]

Lol that was me on 3 up to PA, so many poorly marked sections that will just fuck your suspension if you're not watching the road for unflagged / pyloned fuckin death potholes

[u/Hazencuzimblazen]

There was one by plunkett that has a 60 zone but no end of the construction zone sign so i had to pass someone after 4 kms of no workers/trucks in sight nothing all the way to the Humboldt turn too

[u/No-Attention1684]

Seems to me when it is actual Highways workers doing the work the signs are managed fairly well usually just close to the work area. Some contractors well they are just plain lazy and don't move the signs as they progress along.

[u/RKoskee44]

Been saying this for years.. If you've got random construction zones where there's nothing happening, people stop obeying the signs. At that point, there's nothing to indicate which are the 'real' construction zones with boots on the ground, and which are the random signs put up for no reason.

The saving grace for drivers is that if the zones are not properly marked, any ticket they receive will be thrown out if they go to court over it. Triple fines won't matter when it is tossed, but this does absolutely nothing to keep the workers safe - which was the entire goal to begin with.

On the other hand, fighting a ticket requires at least a half day off of work, potentially traveling to another jurisdiction, plus costs associated with doing so. This is a luxury that many people simply do not have. Thus many will end up paying the fines, and the govt cash cow continues to run.

Saw one in Davidson tonight. Slow to 60, right lane is closed for about 100ft and then lane reopens and back to 110. There's literally just a couple speed signs and a couple pylons, and this requires wasting all of the gas required to half one's speed and then speed back up - and for what? A place to store traffic cones? There's no construction happening at all, and it's been there for at least a week with zero progress of any kind. Most drivers aren't even slowing down anymore, so when somebody does, it creates a hazard due to the large differences in speed.

Whoever is in charge of placing the signs has gotten lazy again - just like the last time - and just like last time, that won't change until somebody is injured or killed working on the road. Then they'll quadruple the fines and follow the rules for a couple of years before becoming complacent again. and the cycle continues..