Released on May 29, 2001
More highways across the province will see repairs this construction season.Today, Highways and Transportation released an additional list of 20 new
highway improvement projects valued at over $45 million in its Spring
Tender Schedule. Some of these projects will be paid for by the five year,
$220 million Prairie Grain Roads Program that was jointly announced Friday
by all three levels of government.
"This is going to be a very progressive year as the funding is now in place
to aggressively fix the roads across Saskatchewan," Highways and
Transportation Minister Pat Atkinson said. "The money from the Prairie
Grain Roads Program, which includes $90 million of provincial funding over
five years, will help pay for some of these highway improvement projects
this year."
With the recent Prairie Grain Roads Program announcement, the department is
now able to release its Spring Tender Schedule.
The 2001 Spring Tender Schedule also includes two new grading projects
totalling 23.7 km on Highway 1 west that will accelerate twinning on this
section of the national highway system. Earlier this year, the government
committed to having Highway 1 west completely twinned by 2004.
Another major project is starting construction of a second bridge and
associated roadways at the North Saskatchewan River in the Battlefords. A
24.8 km resurfacing project will occur on Highway 1 from Broadview to
Grenfell and the province will continue the reconstruction of Highway 6
from north of Highway 18 to north of Minton.
"We are equally focused on improving our national highway system,
resurfacing provincial highways and rebuilding our rural roads," Atkinson
said.
Highlights of the Spring Tender Schedule include:
12.9 km of paving on Highway 19 from Elbow to south junction of
Highway 44 (Prairie Grain Roads Program);
21.5 km of paving on Highway 4 from Cadillac to south of the
junction Highway 43 (Prairie Grain Roads Program);
10.4 km of grading and paving on Highway 40 from the bridge at
Sweet Grass to the Rockhaven Access (Prairie Grain Roads Program);
16 km of grading and paving on Highway 21 from Grid 787 to the
Junction of Highway 40 (Prairie Grain Roads Program);
6 km of grading and road widening on Highway 55 from Shoal Lake to
Red Earth Access.
Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation's budget this year is a record
$311.7 million. This budget allocates $25.6 million for completing 70 km
of twinning on Highways 1 and 16. The highway system will receive an
investment of $67.5 million for improvements on paved and thin membrane
surface (TMS) highways as well as gravel roads. Improvements will be made
to 550 km of rural and northern highways.
An investment of $72.9 million, twinning included, will be made to improve
the major highway system that carries 65 per cent of provincial traffic.
This funding provides for 235 km of resurfacing on 11 different highways.
-30-
For more information, contact:
Barry Martin, Assistant Deputy Minister
Highways and Transportation
Phone: (306) 787-4859
Cell: (306) 537-1246
Attachment: The complete 2001-02 Construction Project List is available.
The Prairie Grain Roads Program is separate in this attachment.