WAKAW — Repairs to Highway 312 continue to be a work in progress. Travellers have been directed around the worksite since Feb. 11, using Range Road 2282 to access Highway 41 when travelling between Wakaw and the western portion of Highway 312, adding roughly 20 minutes to any journey.
A crew from the Ministry of Highways first noticed slumping along the shoulder of Highway 312, 12 kilometres west of Wakaw and 28 kilometres east of the intersection of Highways 11 and 312, on Aug. 11. This observation came after a heavy rain event on Aug. 8-9, during which some residents reported nearly 70 millimetres of rainfall. Due to this slump, the ministry restricted the width of vehicles travelling over this section of Highway 312, reduced traffic to one lane, and installed temporary traffic lights.
Last December, after four months of waiting for repairs to begin, the ministry responded via email to the Wakaw Recorder’s query of when promised repairs would occur. The email informed that a tender would be issued in January 2026 for a contractor to repair the damaged portion of Highway 312 west of Wakaw. The repair work, to restore a two-lane gravel surface, the email stated, was expected to take place in February and March, while the plan for the final asphalt repair identified the summer of 2026 for its completion.
Brodsky Construction Inc. was awarded the contract for the repair. Those repairs began on February 11with Phase 1, which included the installation of sheet piles and restoring 100 metres of Highway 312 to a granular base surface (gravel). Phase 2, which will be the application of asphalt to the surface, is now estimated to start at some point in May and be completed in June.
An individual without authorization to discuss the work has shared that the sheet piles have been installed, and all that remains is the backfilling and the application of gravel, which should be complete in roughly two weeks.
Brodsky Construction has a long history of construction and earthwork, having been founded by Nathan Brodsky in the Manitoba Interlake region over 70 years ago. The business moved from Winnipeg to Saskatoon in 1965 and continued operations until 1996, when Jack Brodsky, vice-president of Business Development, and his brothers decided to retire from the earth-moving industry. Almost 20 years later, the third generation, Jack’s sons David and John, re-entered the business. With up to 50 employees during the peak construction season, the company works all over Saskatchewan and into Alberta and Manitoba and has “built a lot of highways.” The company’s experience in constructing transportation infrastructure includes, but is not limited to, embankment construction, culvert installations, and erosion control measures.
