PROVINCE INVESTING $16.1-MILLION IN PRINCE ALBERT AREA TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS

More than $16.1 million has been invested by the province in highway projects in the Prince Albert area to improve the lives of Saskatchewan families and enhance important economic transportation links as the construction season continues moving ahead.

"Such transportation projects as the Murray Point access road near Emma Lake, Highway 953 near Christopher Lake and Highway 2 to Waskesiu Lake are economic enablers for Saskatchewan's robust tourism industry," Regional Economic and Co-operative Development Minister Lon Borgerson said on behalf of Highways and Transportation Minister Buckley Belanger while in Prince Albert today. "These improvements provide reliable access for those living or visiting those areas and travelling to Prince Albert for work or to see local attractions."

"These projects are part of the province's new Transportation for Economic Advantage strategy, which will see $5 billion invested over 10 years to improve the transportation system. A record $434 million has already been budgeted to maintain and enhance Saskatchewan's transportation network in the 2007-08 fiscal year."

Major projects in the 2007 construction season in the Prince Albert area include:

• Highway 11 - Work has continued on twinning this highway in the Prince Albert area with plans to grade 11.3 kilometres from north of Macdowall to the junction of Highway 2. Grading on this section is expected to begin in late August and is expected to be finished the following construction season. The grading is to prepare this section for paving in 2008. The cost of this grading is $4.8 million;

• Highway 2 - Thirty two kilometres of this highway have been repaved from north of the Christopher Lake access road to the Waskesiu Lake access road (Highway 264). Work began at the end of May and finished in early July. The cost of this project is $4.6 million;

• Paddockwood access road - About 8.5 km of the access road to Paddockwood, which links it to Highway 2, has been strengthened. This project used recycled pavement shaved off Highway 2 for the resurfacing. Work on the Paddockwood access road began in early June and ended in mid June. The cost of the project is $120,000;

• Highway 41 - Almost 12 km of this highway southwest of Wakaw will be repaved. Work began in mid May and is expected to be completed by the end of August. The cost of the project is $2.4 million;

• Highway 12 - About six kilometres of this highway will be repaved from the junction of Highway 312 near Hepburn heading north. Onsite construction began July 26 and is expected to be completed by late August. The cost of the project is $1.6 million;

• Highway 40 - About 10 km of this highway will be repaved starting north of Marcelin and heading south. Onsite construction is expected to start in late August and is expected to be finished by mid September. The cost of the project is $2.2 million;

• Highway 953 - A contractor has been hired to surface 3.5 km of this highway starting near the Christopher/Emma Lakes area and heading north. The work is expected to start and be completed later this construction season. The cost of the project is $350,000. More than three kilometres of strengthening work also began in early June in the Anglin Lake area on this highway using a process similar to what was done on the Paddockwood access road. This resurfacing is expected to be completed in early August. The cost of this project is $86,000;

• Murray Point access road - Survey work will start later this year to begin planning for an upgrade of this six kilometre road, which runs on the west side of Emma Lake and starts at Highway 263 and heads northwest.

Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation would also like to remind motorists to slow to 60 km/hr in the Orange Zone when passing highway workers and equipment. For more information on highway construction and Transportation for Economic Advantage, please visit www.highways.gov.sk.ca.

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For more information, contact:

Dan Palmer
Highways and Transportation
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4805
Email: dpalmer@highways.gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-536-9692