Released on October 30, 2000
The largest-ever Winter Tender Schedule for Saskatchewan highway work washanded out today, worth an estimated $90 million.
"This is more than double the tender value over last year's Winter Tender and
is the largest Winter Tender Schedule in Saskatchewan history," Highways and
Transportation Minister Maynard Sonntag said. "We are committed to fixing
Saskatchewan's highways. Beginning this winter and continuing through next
year, we will be making substantial improvements to the highway system."
The Winter Tender Schedule ensures timely and efficient delivery of highway
improvements next spring. If 2000-01 projects were not tendered until spring
2001, many projects could not be completed as planned next year. The Winter
Tender Schedule also gives the road building industry time to prepare bids and
determine workload, staffing and equipment requirements for the upcoming
construction season.
Tendering next year's projects now allows for crushed gravel and sand to be
hauled during the winter when roads are frozen, avoiding damage that would be
caused if the material was hauled in the spring or summer.
Highlights of the Winter Tender Schedule include work to provide for:
121 km of surfacing work on eleven key thin membrane surface (TMS)
corridors valued at $21 million;
266 km of pavement resurfacing on 18 main highways (23 projects) valued
at $34 million;
70 km of twinning on sections of Highway 1 East and West, as well as
Highway 16 valued at $18 million; and
$9 million in gravel stockpiling to ensure supplies for patching,
sealing and other maintenance work across the province.
"Next year, work on our thin membrane highways identified in the Winter Tender
Schedule will be significant, totalling $21 million dollars," Sonntag said.
"These are roads that were very thinly surfaced about 30 years ago, so people
could drive on a dust-free road. Many of these roads have reached or surpassed
the end of their lifespan, due to increased traffic and truck haul."
Additional highway work for the summer construction season – including work on
TMS and main highways – will be tendered in the spring.
"This year, we are spending $262 million to fix Saskatchewan roads, which
includes a $12 million boost in funding announced earlier this month. That's
our largest budget ever and a 12 per cent increase over last year," Sonntag
said.
"Improving transportation in Saskatchewan is a government priority. Our goal
is to have a safe, reliable transportation system to better serve our
residents, travellers and carriers."
A copy of the Winter Tender Schedule, detailing specific projects province-
wide, can be found at the Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation website:
www.highways.gov.sk.ca.
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For more information, contact:
Mike Woods
Communications
Highways and Transportation
Regina
Phone: (306) 787-4804