PROVINCE COMMITS $66 MILLION TO PAY FOR FLOOD-DAMAGED HIGHWAYS

The provincial government is investing an additional $66 million into the Highways and Infrastructure budget this year to repair provincial highways damaged by flooding and high water levels.

"The men and women of the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure worked hard to keep our highways open when they could and keep motorists safe and informed of changing conditions," Minister of Highways and Infrastructure Jim Reiter said. "We know there are roads in bad shape and people are getting frustrated, but rest assured we are working as quickly as possible to get the job done."

The province announced today it is providing an additional $46 million to the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure to repair water-related damage to provincial highways. This funding is in addition to $20 million that was made available to the ministry in July and included in the Province's First Quarter Report. The ministry anticipates a significant portion of this will be recovered through federal disaster assistance programs.

More than 120 sections of highway have been closed at various times this year due to flooding or water-related damage. Damage the ministry has been responding to includes damaged pavement washed out bridges and culverts, landslides and mudslides along sections of highways. The ministry has identified approximately 400 repair projects to be completed, including two projects that will raise low spots to prevent possible future flooding. Examples include:

• Design work and gravel crushing for future grade raise on Highway 123 to Cumberland House
• Raising a low spot on Highway 39 near Macoun
• Repairs to extensive surface failures on Highway 42 north of Moose Jaw
• Repairs to Highway 1 between Indian Head and Wolseley that were both underwater for several days this past spring
• Repairs to Highway 6 north of Melfort because of a landslide
• Repairs to a bridge on Highway 9 near the United States border

"This year's unprecedented flooding wiped out roads, bridges and other infrastructure severely restricting the ability of some Saskatchewan residents to travel freely within their local communities," said Shantel Lipp, President of the Saskatchewan Heavy Construction Association (SHCA). "In the midst of an already busy construction season, I'm proud to say that our crews and ministry staff continue to work extended hours alongside each other to ensure the work is completed safely and under tight timelines. Our strong industry-ministry relationship ensures we are able to work closely to coordinate resources and expedite repairs to reopen highways as quickly as possible."

"We were very pleased with the way the province worked with our municipality to provide a detour and get highways reopened when Highways 18 and 47, including the access to the power station were closed this summer," Reeve of the Rural Municipality of Estevan Kelly Lafrentz said. "It's reassuring to know the province is working just as quickly to fix the damage to our highways and roads."

"Our crews and contractors have been working all season to repair damaged roads and are continuing to do so," Reiter said. "Work will continue into the fall and winter months."

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For more information, contact:

Doug Wakabayashi
Highways and Infrastructure
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4804
Email: doug.wakabayashi@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-536-0049