Province kicks-in 25M to repair flood-damaged roads

REGINA — The Saskatchewan government is setting aside an additional $25 million to repair flood and moisture-related damage to the provincial highway system.

“Flooding and excessive moisture in many parts of the province, combined with the mild winter created many challenges on the provincial highway system this past spring,” said Highways and Transportation Minister Eldon Lautermilch in a press release. “This will assist the department in dealing with unforeseen costs arising from the spring moisture condition and inflationary pressures.”

To date, $94 million in major construction projects are underway or in contract and department crews and contractors have completed more than $27 million worth of maintenance and preservation work, Lautermilch said.

The $25 million is in addition to the 2006-07 Highways and Transportation budget of $345 million — the largest in the province’s history.

This also includes a planned $133 million on 103 major highway and bridge improvements and an additional $145 million is planned on smaller highway and bridge improvements, surface maintenance and other traffic safety activities like snow and ice control, mowing, signing and pavement striping and transport compliance.

On July 1st, 1,200 km of highways were added to the “primary” weight system, resulting in trucking efficiencies expected to generate $18 million per year in direct economic benefits.

Currently, the maximum weight for a standard five-axle, tractor trailer combo on a “secondary” highway is 34,500, while trucks can load up to 39,500 kg when traveling on primary roads and highways.

The province has about 6,400 km of secondary roads — or “thin membrane surface” roads, which were converted from gravel roads to highways in the 1950s and ’60s using a thin layer of asphalt.