Sask. drivers warned about possible traffic delays due to house on the move

The relocation of a house and a garage could force some drivers to slow down on Saskatchewan highways over the next three days.

Traffic on a number of highways will be impacted starting at 8 a.m. on Tuesday as the buildings are moved about 200 kilometres from a spot near Lajord to a destination just north of Lumsden. Kerry Neufeld, president of Neufeld Building Movers, said the structures will be moved in two pieces, with the largest being a log building about 60 feet wide, 80 feet long and close to 40 feet high.

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“A lot of moving parts with this move,” Neufeld said about the challenge ahead.

Kerry Neufeld, president of Neufeld Building Movers, said the largest part of the move is a log building about 60 feet wide, 80 feet long and close to 40 feet high. (Government of Saskatchewan/Submitted)

The move has been broken down into four segments, and Neufeld said his company will work with SaskPower to avoid lines along the way. He predicted that it will be “slow going,” with a few delays for traffic.

“We’re just asking everyone to be patient with us,” he said.

Neufeld recommended anyone who might be sharing a roadway with the oversized load to check the Saskatchewan Highway Hotline for live updates on the routes affected by the move.

“If people are watching that, they’ll be able to maybe avoid those intersections and areas where they need to get places and maybe find a different route to get to their locations,” he said.

Neufeld emphasized the need for safety during the move.

“That’s a big job,” he said. “It’s going to be interesting and it’s going to be really neat to watch. If anyone wants to take a look, just if they can steer clear and watch us do our thing, we’re completely fine with that, but just give our guys and SaskPower room to be safe.”

Neufeld explained that his company has done work like this before, but this move will be completed during a busier time and will require a crew of 20-30 people. He highlighted the hilly areas around the Qu’Appelle Valley as some of the more difficult spots he and his team have planned for.

“We want to make sure that we control the load going down the hill, across the bridge and up the other side, so we’ll have really good traffic control,” he said.

“We’re confident in our plan.”

While it isn’t the largest or heaviest move the company has completed, Neufeld said this project comes with quite a few challenges.

“This is on the higher-end scale of our house moves,” Neufeld said. “This move has it all.”

Neufeld said his crew will be working by 7 a.m. on Tuesday. Should any sort of emergency happen while the buildings are on the road, Neufeld said the team has protocols to follow in order to move the load out of the way in order to avoid potentially slowing down any emergency vehicles.

“The roads couldn’t be in better shape,” Neufeld said, noting that highways along the route are largely clear of snow and ice, which means the trucks shouldn’t have any problem finding traction.

Neufeld commended the staff he has working on the move, saying some have three decades of experience with his company.

“We’re confident we’re up for the challenge,” he said.

–with files from 650 CKOM’s Brent Bosker

A map showing the route of the load from Tuesday through Thursday will travel, starting near Lajord and ending north of Lumsden. (Government of Saskatchewan/Submitted)