MOOSE JAW — CAA Saskatchewan’s 2025 Top 10 Worst Roads Campaign is over and on the list are three Moose Jaw streets, which is one fewer than made the list last year.
From April 8 to 29, pedestrians, motorists, cyclists, transit riders and motorcyclists nominated and voted for their worst, most unsafe roads, with the most common safety concerns being crumbling pavement, potholes, lack of maintenance or repair, congestion, not enough signage and poor infrastructure, CAA said.
Moose Jaw’s Fifth Avenue Northwest placed fourth this year, while it finished fifth in 2022. Furthermore, 13th Avenue Northwest and Coteau Street West tied for ninth place this year, with the former finishing ninth last year and the latter finishing third in 2023.
Moose Jaw voters said all three streets face severe pothole problems.
Finishing first this year was Highway 5 near Buchanan, followed by Highway 339 near Avonlea in second and Highway 4 near Dorintosh in third.
Voters nominated 1,299 roads during this year’s campaign. Meanwhile, CAA says most — but not all — of the Top 10 list included roads and highways from across Saskatchewan that had been on the list in past years.
“The collection of roads nominated and voted on during this year’s campaign does indicate that Saskatchewan road users are concerned about their safety while travelling on our roads and highways … ,” said Angel Blair, CAA’s manager of communications and public relations and the campaign’s “roving reporter.”
Weather conditions, the age of the roads, heavy traffic, and lack of maintenance cause road deterioration, while cold climates create the freeze-thaw cycle that plays a major role in producing potholes — a problem that occurs when temperatures regularly go above and below the freezing point, she continued.
When rain or snow seeps through cracks and openings in the pavement, it freezes and expands, causing the pavement to heave upward, Blair pointed out. As temperatures rise, the ground underneath the pavement returns to its normal level, leaving a cavity or hole that breaks apart with continued traffic by road users over the fractured pavement.
Saskatchewan is a landlocked province and has almost 250,000 kilometres of roads, the highest length of road surface compared to any other province in Canada, she said. These roads, often a lifeline for many residents, are used regularly for business and leisure road travel, and when these roads deteriorate, road users pay the price.
“CAA Saskatchewan is a safety advocate, and the CAA Worst Roads online engagement campaign is aimed at drawing attention to our province’s worst, unsafe roads,” Blair added. “This year’s Top 10 list of worst roads will be 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.”
