Concerns have been raised about the condition of the railroad crossing on Highway 18, located on the east boundary of the Town of Bienfait. 

It's a rough ride, especially when one is accelerating to highway speed, and this was brought to the attention of the Southeast Transportation Planning Committee, who met the other day to discuss the situation.

"We talked with the Department of Highways, and soon found out that this is a total Railroad problem. The only thing that the Highways is responsible is the 16 inches on either side of the track from the ties out, they are in charge of filling that back in with hot mix, and we're kind of late for doing that now. They know the problem, they know it's rough, and the Railroad people may try doing something before spring, but the end result is that the Highways will have to do the finish project once the others have raised the timber part of it," related Dennis Moore, a member of the Committee.

He noted that a temporary fix could possibly be arranged, but the most likely scenario will see the responsible parties addressing the situation in the spring. The sunken boards will be raised or replaced by the railroad, and the Highways will add some fresh asphalt to deter the simulated aerial launch that drivers in the area know so well. That said, they are working towards finding a way to alleviate the issue until it can be taken care of thoroughly.

"We will be having another meeting in the first part of December, we'll talk with the same people again and see if they have found something that they can help with. However, at the moment, they said we may have to live with it until spring."

That said, the rough shape of the Bienfait railroad crossing was not the only topic at the SETPC meeting. One can receive quite a massage as they travel Highway 47 South, and it's condition also prompted discussion.

"We talked about that, and I asked them if they would consider making it 80 kilometers an hour for the rough spots on it. They're going to approach the Ministry (of Highways and Infrastructure) and see if they would. Again, we'll see what happens.

Moore added that that problem may not end up being taken care of until spring either.

Other issues being addressed by the Committee include the planned paving on Highway 8 near Redvers in 2018, and maintaining the ditches along the highways before the snow comes, to prevent potential snow drifts.