PAVING BEGINS ON NEW TWINNED LANE ON YELLOWHEAD HIGHWAY

A 10.7 km paving project is now underway for a new section of twinning on

Highway 16 between Lashburn and Marshall.



"Work has started on this $3.2 million project and should be completed by late

July," Highways and Transportation Minister Maynard Sonntag said. "An

estimated 67 full-time workers will be employed on this project."



Anderson Rental & Paving Ltd. of Saskatoon was awarded the project as the

lowest of six bidders. Grading was completed on this section last construction

season at a cost of $2.5 million. Grading will continue this summer on an

additional 16.2 km section of twinning from east of Lashburn to just west of

Maidstone, with plans to pave next year.



"An additional 10.7 km of twinning on the Yellowhead Highway will help to save

lives, along with improving driver safety and comfort," Sonntag said. "We are

on track to meeting our twinning commitment for the national highway system."



Across the province, there will be 101 major projects on 53 different highways.

Highways and Transportation's 2000 budget is $250 million, the largest in the

department's history. A major component of this investment is $13.3 million

dedicated to twinning on the national highway system on two sections of Highway

1 and on Highway 16.



Motorists are asked to drive safely through the Orange Zone and watch for

construction signs and equipment.



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For more information, contact:



Ray Connoly, Director

Engineering Projects

Saskatoon

Phone: (306) 933-6117

(cell) 230-5272