The Government of Canada Invests in Transportation Infrastructure on Highways 6 and 39 in Saskatchewan

Released on July 5, 2018

The quality of Canada’s transportation infrastructure and the efficiency of the country’s trade corridors are key to the success of Canadian firms in the global marketplace. The Government of Canada supports infrastructure projects that create quality middle-class jobs and boost economic growth.

Today Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Ralph Goodale, on behalf of Minister of Transport Marc Garneau, announced a major investment of $53.3 million to help Canadian businesses compete globally by improving highway infrastructure to ensure that goods move efficiently to market.

The project consists of building 16 sets of passing lanes in the highest traffic volume areas on Highways 6 and 39 between Regina and Estevan, near the United States border. It also includes twinning of short segments of the corridor south of Regina, north of Milestone, and south of Weyburn, the rehabilitation of approximately 51 kilometres of pavement and improving intersections and highway entrances and exits along the corridor.

This is expected to have significant economic and employment benefits by creating good quality jobs during construction. This project will improve the flow of highway traffic, and reduce congestion and travel time. As a result, it will improve the movement of goods to market in Saskatchewan’s busiest trade corridor with the United States, supporting growth in mining, agriculture, and oil and gas production.

“Transportation and distribution of goods are a vital part of our local, regional and national economies,” Goodale said. “The investment announced here today will make our transportation system stronger by addressing capacity constraints and safety concerns along this corridor and fostering long-term prosperity for our community.”

“Our government is investing in Canada’s economy by improving our trade and transportation corridors,” Garneau said. “We support projects that will efficiently move commercial goods to market and people to their destinations, stimulate economic growth, create quality middle-class jobs, and ensure that Canada’s transportation networks remain competitive and efficient.”

“Our government is pleased to be able to partner with the federal government and receive funding through the National Trade Corridors Fund,” Marit said. “This is an important project for Saskatchewan that will improve the safety and efficiency of one of our province’s key trade corridors to the United States.”

The Government of Canada is supporting infrastructure projects that contribute most to Canada’s continued success in international trade.

For example, projects being funded will:

support economic activity and the physical movement of goods or people in Canada;
help the transportation system withstand the effects of climate change and make sure it is able to support new technologies and innovation;
address transportation bottlenecks and congestion along Canada’s trade corridors; and
increase the fluidity of Canadian trade around the world through our ports, airports, roads, railways, intermodal facilities, bridges and border crossings.

Provincial, territorial and municipal governments, Indigenous groups, not-for-profit and for-profit private-sector organizations, federal Crown Corporations, Canadian Port Authorities, and National Airport System Airport Authorities are all eligible for funding under the National Trade Corridors Fund.

Quick Facts

Transportation is an important element of Canada’s trade with other countries. In 2017, total international merchandise trade amounted to $1.1 trillion. The United States continued to be Canada’s top trade partner, with $703 billion in trade ($415 billion exported, $288 billion imported), accounting for 63.5 per cent of total Canadian trade in 2017.
The Government of Canada places a strong emphasis on exports because of the connection between trade and good, well-paying jobs, as industries that are export-intensive pay wages that are, on average, more than 50 per cent higher than industries that are not.

-30-

For more information, contact:

Steve Shaheen
Highways and Infrastructure
Regina
Phone: 306-933-5641
Email: steve.shaheen@gov.sk.ca

Delphine Denis
Office of the Honourable Marc Garneau
Minister of Transport, Ottawa
Phone: 613-991-0700
Email: Delphine.denis@tc.gc.ca

The Government of Canada Invests in Transportation Infrastructure on Highways 6 and 39 in Saskatchewan

We need your feedback to improve saskatchewan.ca. Help us improve