Grand Coulee Access Road Inspection Improvement
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways needed a safer, more efficient intersection to manage growing turning movements, along a divided, high-volume segment of Highway 1. The goal was to improve safety and operations, while deferring a costly overpass structure until traffic volumes warrant grade-separation. The solution had to operate under live traffic, accommodate large vehicles and farm equipment, fit future network plans and be deliverable quickly and cost effectively.
KGS Group led the project from functional planning through detailed design and construction administration. Our team evaluated five intersection alternative interim concepts, selected a roundabout-anchored offset-left configuration to simplify decisions for drivers, and created a design that integrates staging and drainage while keeping the corridor open.
The intersection is now fully operational, providing an interim safety and capacity upgrade that reduces conflicts and preserves travel time. Construction was delivered while traffic continued with managed detours and careful drainage control. The design also offers a replicable model for low-cost at-grade treatments on other twinned highways.
Project Highlights
- Functional planning through detailed design and construction administration
- Construction was completed while traffic continued providing a case study for low-cost, at-grade treatments on similar corridors
- Precise culvert installation and ditch grading to maintain surface drainage through shallow grade changes
