Regina's $185K solution to vehicles driving through flooded Albert Street underpass is now live | CBC News

· Posted: May 06, 2024 1:51 PM EDT | Last Updated: May 6

Why Regina's underpasses often flood when it rains

The City of Regina has unveiled its solution to people driving their vehicles into the Albert Street underpass when it floods and getting stuck.

Vehicles stranded in the low spot have become a common sight after a heavy rain in Regina. The city has attempted several preventative measures.

City staff deployed orange wooden bollards in 2021 in an attempt to halt vehicles, but at least one driver evaded the barriers and got stuck.

Last year, the City of Regina brought out heavy machinery to make a more imposing barrier and avoid a repeat incident. While that worked, city staff said at the time it was not a feasible solution every time it rained.

Now, the city's new $185,000 solution is ready for the upcoming storm season.

A sensor will now automatically trigger when there is a high risk of flooding. This will activate a series of newly installed "Do Not Enter" signs.

The signs are installed on traffic lights at the intersections of Saskatchewan Drive and Albert Street, Ninth Avenue and Albert Street, and North Railway Street and Albert Street.

The system will also force the traffic lights around the underpass to turn red to reinforce to drivers that the road is closed, the city said.

Regina staff will also be notified when the system activates, allowing them to respond to the flooding more effectively.

SGI is putting up $60,000, while the City of Regina is covering the rest of the cost.

According to the city, the site of the Albert Street underpass has been flooding since at least 1912.

A larger fix to the flooding problem will have to wait until the city starts its upgrades to Saskatchewan Drive, but that's not set to get underway until at least 2027.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexander Quon is a reporter with CBC Saskatchewan based in Regina. After working in Atlantic Canada for four years he's happy to be back in his home province. He has previously worked with the CBC News investigative unit in Nova Scotia and Global News in Halifax. Alexander specializes in data-reporting, COVID-19 and municipal political coverage. He can be reached at: Alexander.Quon@cbc.ca.

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