{
  "id": 7236077,
  "title": "Saskatoon construction snarls commutes for USask students, hospital staff",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/saskatoon-construction-snarls-commutes-for-usask-students-hospital-7236077",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-14T02:58:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Global News",
    "slug": "global-news",
    "url": "https://globalnews.ca/news/12054667/saskatoon-construction-snarls-commutes-for-usask-students-hospital-staff/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A series of roadworks in Saskatoon is causing major traffic congestion for students and staff at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) and the local hospital. The city reopened the University Bridge last Friday after months of repair work, but the reopening has coincided with students returning for classes, leading to increased traffic. Rob Dudiak, the city’s special projects manager, explained that the bridge's reopening has caused confusion among commuters who may have attempted to use the route despite restrictions. Construction work is currently underway on College Drive, which links the university, hospital, and downtown area. This project is part of the city's bus rapid transit initiative, known as Link, and involves platform construction, single-lane traffic, and intersection changes. For many USask students, the construction has significantly lengthened their commutes, with some reporting an additional half-hour travel time. USask acknowledged the inconvenience and encouraged students to communicate with their instructors. The city is working with the university and the Saskatchewan Health Authority to alleviate the traffic backlog, and noted a slight reduction in traffic in the past two days. Emergency vehicles can use the new transit lanes on College Drive to bypass traffic. Medavie Health Services West, responsible for the city's ambulance system, stated that they are not experiencing significant delays reaching Royal University Hospital, located off College Drive. The Cancer Agency also assured that patients with appointments at the nearby Cancer Centre will still receive care, either by rescheduling or arriving late. Despite the road closures, including reduced lanes along College Drive and a closed exit from the University Bridge, the city expects the construction to be completed by the end of October.",
  "summary": "A web of construction and lane restrictions along Saskatoon's College Drive is causing traffic backlogs, putting the patience of university students and hospital staff to the test.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Global News",
        "title": "Saskatoon construction snarls commutes for USask students, hospital staff",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/saskatoon-construction-snarls-commutes-for-usask-students-hospital",
        "published": "2026-09-14T02:58:11.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}