WHEREAS farm equipment becomes larger as agriculture farm parcels become larger; and

WHEREAS record high inputs have resulted in the need for faster, larger and more efficient machines to give us the products of our livelihood; and

WHEREAS farmers lose many hours detouring oversize equipment between parcels of land because of municipal bridge railing heights;

BE IT RESOLVED that SARM lobby the Province to lower the minimum required height of bridge railings on municipal grid and access roads to accommodate oversize farm equipment moves.

Response from Honourable Don McMorris, Minister of Highways and Infrastructure:

This Resolution is a request to lower the minimum required height of bridge railings on municipal grid and access roads to accommodate oversize farm equipment moves.

The rural municipalities are ultimately responsible for the bridges within their RM. The RM may choose to set the bridge rail height below the minimum height given in the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code; however, they would potentially increase their liability resulting from collisions with a substandard bridge rail.

The Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code (CHBDC) is a national standard published by the Canadian Standards Association. It is used to ensure a nation-wide level of safety for the travelling public. The minimum height of bridge rails typical for rural municipal roads is 680 mm as specified in Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code for Performance.

View updated response dated August 17, 2017 from the Ministry of Highways