Sask. government announces $14M rural infrastructure investment

The government of Saskatchewan announced $14 million in funding to improve rural roads, bridges and culverts.

The funding comes from the Municipal Roads for the Economy Program (MREP), which provides funding for municipal infrastructure impacted by increased truck traffic.

“The rural municipal road system plays an important part in getting our exports to market,” Highways and Infrastructure Minister Dave Marit said in a statement.

“Our investment in MREP supports municipalities and plays an important part in keeping our economy strong.”

While MREP is a provincial program, the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) administers the program.

MREP grants cover up to 50 per cent of the cost of road projects and 30 to 90 per cent of the cost of bridge and culvert projects.

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Eleven rural municipalities are receiving grant funding this year.

The largest portion of the MREP funding, $6.6 million, will go to Clearing the Path (CTP) corridors. These are roads designed specifically for heavy truck traffic that link up to primary weight highways.

“We appreciate the government’s continued support for rural Saskatchewan,” SARM president Ray Orb said. “Saskatchewan’s growth is fueled by resource exports and MREP ensures money is invested back into the rural transportation system that supports those exports.”

Other areas receiving MREP funding include five bridge and culvert projects worth $2.89 million and six heavy haul high volume.