Flooding closes highways as local emergencies declared in parts of Saskatchewan

Three communities in Saskatchewan are now under local states of emergency as flooding continues.

Dozens of roads and highways have been affected by spring flooding across Saskatchewan.

According to Highway Hotline, several routes are closed and travel restrictions are in place as of Sunday morning.

Some of the fully closed including routes include Highway 9 north of Canora, Highway 47 south of Highway 5, Highway 357 near the Assiniboine River Bridge, Highway 310 south of Highway 16, parts of Highway 5 near Buchanan and east of Highway 310, and Highway 25 near St. Louis.

Other closures are reported on Highway 335 west of Highway 35, Birch Road east of Highway 23, Railway Avenue in Brancepeth and Ramsey Bay Access at Highway 2.

Saskatchewan’s Highway Hotline website says some highways remain open but are affected by water on or over the road, including sections of Highway 903, Highway 955, Highway 165 and Highway 312.

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Drivers are urged to slow down and use caution.

Both lanes have reopened on Highway 165 south of Beauval, but motorists are warned of a sharp drop off and reduced speed limits.

Meanwhile, the Rural Municipality of Shellbrook has declared a local state of emergency due to rapidly increasing runoff from snowmelt.

In a post on Facebook, the RM says the flooding is putting pressure on municipal infrastructure and limiting access for residents.

The RM warns that water is flowing over several municipal roads and says access may become impassable in some areas.

In the City of Humboldt, emergency services and Humboldt Public Works were on location at Highway 5 to the east of Muenster on Saturday. Mayor Rob Muench posted on social media saying there is a “very high” likelihood that the highway at Wolverine Creek will wash out soon.

“The culverts are not functioning properly and the banks of the highway are eroding quickly,” he wrote.

“The large amount of water on the north side of the highway has the potential to release a large amount of water down the Wolverine Creek, to Humboldt Lake, and then further downstream across Highway 20.”

Drivers are encouraged to check Saskatchewan’s Highway Hotline for the latest updates.