PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT RURAL INVESTMENT CONTINUES WITH NEW PRIMARY WEIGHT CORRIDOR AGREEMENTS

Nineteen rural municipalities have just been approved for $4 million in capital construction funding to upgrade 112.1 kilometres (km) of roads through the provincially-funded Primary Weight Corridors (PWC) program for the 2009-2010 construction season with a remaining $6 million being used for ongoing maintenance.

"This program is a success story in rural Saskatchewan because it helps to establish the infrastructure needed to continue economic growth," Municipal Affairs Minister Bill Hutchinson said. "We doubled our budget from $5 million to $10 million because rural Saskatchewan needs this program to build for future prosperity."

"As Chairman of the CTP (Clearing the Path) Corridors I am very pleased with the announcement today," Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) Division five Director Richard Porter said. "This program assists municipalities in providing better roads that allow primary weights to move more efficiently and this will help sustain and attract industry. We appreciate the funding received for this program to date."

PWC are roads built to a higher standard to bear the burden of heavier truck traffic. To date, $9.4 million has been provided for ongoing maintenance of existing corridors and $1.4 million for reconstruction of PWCs through the ongoing program.

A PWC network was one of the key recommendations from the SARM - Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) Clearing the Path initiative. This supports rural economic development and complements the province's primary weight highways network, to reach most areas of southern Saskatchewan.

For the 2008-09 construction season, 22 rural municipalities were approved for $4.5 million in capital construction for upgrading 103.9 km of PWC. Rural Saskatchewan also received $5.5 million for PWC maintenance.

More details about Clearing the Path and PWC, including a map of the corridors network, are available at www.clearingthepath.ca.

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For more information, contact:

Greg Urbanoski
Municipal Affairs
Regina
Phone: 306-787-2155
Email: Greg.Urbanoski@gov.sk.ca