Released on July 21, 2016
In addition to repairing and upgrading the roads you travel every day, Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure crews maintain rest stops and clean up garbage from ditches for your safety and to keep our province beautiful.
“It’s costly and frustrating for our crews to continuously clean up rest stops and ditches that are being used as personal dump sites,” Highways and Infrastructure Minister Nancy Heppner said. “We ask that travellers do their part in keeping Saskatchewan beautiful by disposing of their garbage responsibly.”
Litter clean-up is a year round, province-wide issue for crews. Of late, a busy rest stop on Highway 1, near Indian Head has been regularly used to dispose of household garbage. While highway crews regularly maintain the site, it is difficult to keep clean.
“A lot of tourists use this rest stop when they are travelling through Saskatchewan or visiting one of our lakes,” Indian Head Mayor Sherry Karpa said. “To have it so messy all the time reflects badly on our province and is an eyesore for rural communities in the area. It’s in everyone’s best interest to keep it clean.”
For those who would like to do their part to keep Saskatchewan beautiful, the ministry offers the Adopt A Highway program that allows interested groups to clear trash from specified sections along our provincial highways. For more information on this program, visit www.highways.gov.sk.ca/adopt-highway/.
This week, seal coating projects are beginning on Highway 3 near Crooked River and Highway 16 near Sheho. As well, completed seal coating projects include: Highway 55 at Love, on Highway 3 near Prairie River and near Frenchman Butte, and on Highway 1 at Piapot and near Maple Creek.
A photo gallery featuring current work can be found at www.highways.gov.sk.ca/2016construction.
If you’re planning a trip this summer, check the Highway Hotline at http://hotline.gov.sk.ca/map/. The Highway Hotline provides up-to-date information on construction, emergency road closures, the status of ferries, barges and other road activities.
Information is also available by calling 306-787-7623 in Regina, 306-933-8333 in Saskatoon and toll-free across Canada at 1-888-335-7623.
The Government of Saskatchewan has invested $6.3 billion in transportation infrastructure since 2008, improving more than 11,000 kilometres of provincial roads.
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For more information, contact:
Sonja Orban
Highways and Infrastructure
Regina
Phone: 306-787-8484
Email: sonja.orban@gov.sk.ca