REGINA – A huge chunk of this year’s Saskatchewan budget is going to highways and infrastructure upgrades, including work needed to eventually twin the highways between Regina to Estevan.
More than $400-million is being dedicated for capital projects, which includes the pre-construction work on Highway 6 and 39 as well as Highway 39 east to Bienfait.
“We have to determine not only the location of the centre line of the new lanes but we even have to determine what side of the highway we’re going to twin on,” said Doug Wakabayashi with the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure. “It includes things like looking at where access points to the highway will be.”
The group advocating to twin the notoriously dangerous stretch of roadway calls the funding announcement a small victory.
“These are small steps in the right direction,” said Marge Young with Time to Twin. “We haven’t won the battle by any means but we are happy these announcements have been made.”
According to SGI, between 2010 and 2012, 11 people died on the stretch of road from Regina and Estevan and there were 126 injuries and close to 373 collisions.
“It is a busy stretch of road. Definitely speeding would be a factor on that highway, just like any highway. A lot of times people are just driving too fast for road conditions,” said Kelley Brinkworth with SGI.
This pre-twinning work, followed by the design phase and purchasing the land, can take up to two years, said Wakabayashi.
“The start of the construction will depend on the progress of the pre-construction work and also on our future budget levels and relative to what other priorities may exist in the provincial highways system,” said Wakabayashi.
The highways ministry also recently announced money to repave Highway 39 from Estevan to Macoun and upgrade four intersections in the area.
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