Highway 905 Still Impassable

Highway 905 Still Impassable

Tuesday, July 26, 2005 at 14:56

An important highway in northern Saskatchewan will remain closed for the next two or three days.

That word today from the Department of Highways, which says Highway 905 is completely impassable.

The highway linking Brabant Lake to Wollaston Lake has been closed since Sunday, when heavy rainfall caused four significant washouts on the road.

Not only is the highway the only road link connecting the Athabasca communities to the rest of the province, it’s also the only supply route for major uranium operations at McClean Lake and Cigar Lake.

Cogema spokesman Alun Richards says as long as the road re-opens by Thursday or Friday, it won’t have a significant impact on operations at the mine sites.

If the highway remains impassable beyond that, he says McClean Lake will likely run out of a compound that’s needed in ore processing.

The blocked road has also forced the temporary closure of the fish packing plant near Wollaston Lake.