Released on April 24, 2013
The Government of Saskatchewan is providing a total of 51 rural municipalities (RMs) with funding for 173 kilometres of road improvements and 40 bridge and culvert repairs or replacements.
The $25.5 million Municipal Roads for the Economy Program (MREP), funds rural roads, bridges and culverts impacted by Saskatchewan’s growing economy. Funding was increased by a total of $2 million in this year’s budget.
“Economic activity in rural Saskatchewan continues to grow from our oil and gas, potash, grain and manufacturing industries,” Highways and Infrastructure Minister Don McMorris said. “It is important that we reinvest that money back into rural Saskatchewan. Rural Saskatchewan remains one of our government’s foremost priorities. Over the past six years alone we have invested $163 million into roads, bridges and culverts throughout rural Saskatchewan.”
“The government's support and investment in rural transportation infrastructure will continue to help grow Saskatchewan's economy and benefit rural residents,” Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities President David Marit said.
MREP, which is administered by the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM), provides funding for municipal roads impacted by increased truck traffic. MREP also funds RM bridge and culvert projects. Grants cover 50 per cent of the costs of road projects and 30 to 90 per cent of the costs of bridge and culvert projects.
Highlights of the 2013 MREP grants include:
- 12 RMs will receive $7.3 million in grants for HH/HV projects, including hot mix asphalt work in Sherwood on roads impacted by Global Transportation Hub traffic, plus a grading project in Orkney which serves Yorkton’s canola crushing plants.
- 17 RMs will receive $4.3 million in grants to develop primary weight truck routes through SARM’s Clearing the Path (CTP) initiative, including White Valley which serves the oil and gas sector, two grain elevators, a shortline railway, a livestock operation and the T-rex Discovery Centre.
- 26 RMs will receive a total of $5 million to replace or repair 40 bridges and culverts.
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For more information, contact:
Lynette Piper
Highways and Infrastructure
Regina
Phone: 306-798-2116
Email: lynette.piper@gov.sk.ca