Released on June 24, 2013
The province is moving forward on detailed pre-construction work for the future twinning of some of Saskatchewan’s busiest highways. The top three priority sections have been identified as Highway 16 from east of Saskatoon to Clavet, Highway 39 from Bienfait to Estevan, and Highway 7 from Saskatoon to Delisle.
“We’re moving forward on pre-construction work for twinning specific sections of highways that are handling high traffic volumes that are forecasted to become even busier as Saskatchewan continues to grow,” Highways and Infrastructure Minister Don McMorris said. “These highways have been selected based on criteria that takes into account not only traffic volumes but also safety, which remains our highest priority.”
The three prioity sections are:
- Highway 16 (26km) east of Saskatoon to Clavet, currently has a daily traffic count of 8,610 vehicles per day.
- Highway 7 (24km) west of Saskatoon to Delisle, currently has a daily traffic count of 6,690 vehicles per day.
- Highway 39 (8km) east of Estevan to Bienfait, currently has a daily traffic count of 7,470 vehicles per day.
“We’re being proactive by completing environmental assessments, designing twinning lanes, and purchasing land,” McMorris said. “This is all part of highway planning work that needs to be completed prior to any construction starting.”
The planning work has begun for Highways 16 and 7 and will begin for Highway 39 this summer. This work must occur now because it takes two years or longer to complete for each highway.
Landowner negotiations are expected to begin after the design is completed and right-of-way requirements are determined.
At this point, no construction timelines have been determined.
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For more information, contact:
Doug Wakabayashi
Highways and Infrastructure
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4804
Email: doug.wakabayashi@gov.sk.ca