Record Highways Budget Funds Twinning, Passing Lanes, Overpasses and Bypasses

Released on March 18, 2015

The record 2015-16 Highways Budget funds several major projects that significantly improve safety on some of Saskatchewan’s busiest highways.

This year’s highways and infrastructure budget is $842 million. The Budget includes $560 million for transportation capital that will see the province move forward on several bypass, twinning, passing lane and overpass projects.

“Record population growth has meant more traffic on some of our busiest highways,” Highways and Infrastructure Minister Nancy Heppner said. “With this historic investment in transportation infrastructure many long-standing safety concerns will be addressed.”

Major projects in this year’s budget include:

$211 million to start construction on the Regina Bypass, purchase land and facilitate utility moves;
$19 million to start construction of twinning on Highway 7 from Saskatoon to Delisle and Highway 39 from Estevan to Bienfait;
$1.2 million for continued planning work for the future twinning of Highways 6 and 39 between Regina and Estevan;
$14.7 million for continued work on the Estevan truck route;
$23 million to continue the twinning of Highway 16 from Saskatoon to Clavet;
$6.8 million to start work on passing lanes on Highway 5 between Saskatoon and Humboldt and complete passing lanes on Highway 7 between Delisle and Rosetown; and
$7.5 million to start work on new overpasses on Highway 11 at Warman and Highway 12 at Martensville.

“With this year’s budget the province is committing to construction of new overpasses at Warman and Martensville as well as several overpasses related to the Regina Bypass,” Heppner said. “In comparison just two overpasses were built on Saskatchewan highways between 1988 and 2010.”

The budget also provides for significant investments to repair and renew existing transportation infrastructure, including:

$56.3 million to build, operate and maintain the transportation system in the north, including upgrades at the Stony Rapids Airport and repaving the runway at the Buffalo Narrows Airport;
$46.2 million to repair or replace bridges and culverts;
$80.8 million to repave at least 300 km of highways;
$73.9 million for Thin Membrane Surface and rural highway upgrades; and
$15 million to continue repairs from last year’s flooding.

With the 2015-16 Budget, the government has exceeded its 2011 commitment to invest $2.2 billion over four years by about half a billion dollars. Since 2008 the Provincial Government has invested $5.2 billion into Saskatchewan’s highways and roads.

-30-

For more information, contact:

Doug Wakabayashi
Highways and Infrastructure
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4804
Email: doug.wakabayashi@gov.sk.ca

Record Highways Budget Funds Twinning, Passing Lanes, Overpasses and Bypasses

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