After a few months without an incident, Saskatoon’s number of days without an overpass hit is back down to zero.
In the early afternoon on Friday, the 51st Street overpass was hit by a grain bin being transported southbound.
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The strike marks the sixth overpass collision in Saskatchewan this year, and the fifth in Saskatoon. All of those collisions occurred in March.
Photos show Saskatoon Police Service officers responded to the scene. In a release on Friday afternoon, police said the collision involved the driver of a semi towing a trailer and a grain bin southbound on Idylwyld Drive “failed to heed the height restrictions of the 51st St overpass.
Samantha McCoy was working at a fruit truck when she heard the crash.
“I was standing at the front door, and my son was outside in his car when I heard a big giant bang. It was scary. I got goosebumps. He saw me, and we made eye contact. I went outside, and he said, ‘Did you hear that?’ I said, ‘Yeah. What was it?’ I thought it was the airport. About 15 minutes later, he’d gone home, saw it and told me to go outside and look at the bridge,” she said.
“It was scary. It was a big giant bang,” McCoy said.
(Evan Dunlop/Facebook)
“The bin struck the overpass, was dislodged from the trailer, and is currently wedged, blocking the merge lane from westbound 51st St.”
Police said the through lanes of Idylwyld Dr. are not directly impacted by the grain bin, but the extraction and re-loading of the bin is expected to “severely hamper traffic.”
Damage to the 51st Street overpass at Idylwyld Drive caused by a semi towing a grain bin on July 24, 2026. The crumpled grain bin can be seen under the bridge. (City of Saskatoon/650 CKOM)
Drivers are being asked to find alternative routes. According to the city, Idylwyld Dr. at the 51st Street overpass has been reduced to one lane after the collision, which happened around 1:30 p.m. on Friday.
“City of Saskatoon engineering staff went immediately to the scene following the collision to assess the structure. Further updates will be shared as more information becomes available,” the city said in a release.
Damage to the 51st Street overpass at Idylwyld Drive caused by a semi towing a grain bin on July 24, 2026. (City of Saskatoon/650 CKOM)
The city said the single-lane restriction is expected to remain in place while debris is removed and the structural inspection is being completed.
“Drivers are asked to follow all posted signs and detours,” the city said, adding that it will monitor the situation and provide updates as information becomes available.
(Evan Dunlop/Facebook)
The City of Saskatoon said its engineers were “aware and on the way to inspect the overpass” in an email just after 1:50 p.m. on Friday.
The city said a release with more information will be shared later. “We are gathering a few more details,” the city said in the email.
A grain bin became lodged under the 51st Street overpass on Idylwyld, when a semi-truck towing a trailer “failed to heed the height restrictions”, according to Saskatoon Police. The bin blocked the merge lane from westbound 51st St. (Mia Holowaychuk/650 CKOM)
The first overpass collision on March 5th involved a semi-trailer hauling an excavator travelling in the northbound lanes of Highway 11 when it struck the Circle Drive overpass. The highway patrol laid six charges in the incident.