BUDGET 2010-11 CONTINUES HISTORIC COMMITMENT TO HIGHWAYS

Budget 2010-11 invests $551 million to build, operate and maintain the provincial highway system, including $250 million in new highway construction and repaving this year - the second largest highways capital program in the province's history.

"With this investment, our government will have invested $1.7 billion into the provincial transportation system in the first three years of our mandate," Highways and Infrastructure Minister Jim Reiter said. "We made a commitment to the people of Saskatchewan to invest $1.8 billion over our four-year mandate to fix our highways and roads. We are well on our way to significantly exceeding that commitment."

Highlights of the Highways and Infrastructure budget include:

• $63 million to support major multi-year projects, including:
  • Completing another 30 kilometres (km) of twinning on Highway 11;
  • Year two of the Lewvan Interchange and West By-Pass at Regina; and
  • The Yorkton Truck By-Pass.
• $86 million to commence or complete 470 km of work under the rural highway strategy;
• $76 million to commence or complete 600 km of resurfacing across the provincial highway system; and
• $36 million to repair or replace bridges and culverts, including continuing work on the new St. Louis Bridge.

Reiter says that even in a restraint budget, the province is in a position to continue near-record levels of transportation funding because of prudent management, fiscal responsibility and collaborative partnerships with government and industry.

"The federal government has recognized our ability to deliver on transportation priorities and, as a result, we will receive $113 million - the largest federal contribution in history," Reiter said. "At the same time we are delivering record transportation budgets with no increase in full time equivalents."

In addition to plans for the 2010 construction season, Reiter also indicated that the 2010-11 version of the province's rolling Five-Year Capital Plan will be released in the coming weeks.

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For more information, contact:

Doug Wakabayashi
Highways and Infrastructure
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4804
Cell: 306-536-0049