Saskatchewan announces record highway budget

REGINA (April 6, 2000) — Saskatchawan plans to spend $250 million on road repairs and improvements this year and next, the largest highways and transportation budget in the history of province.

Planned improvements included twinning a portion of the national Trans-Canada highway, provincial officals said.

The budget has increased by $15.4 million, or 6.6%, from the 1999-2000 budget.

“We are striking a spending balance between twinning on the national highway system, addressing traffic operation and safety on our high volume highways, and preserving our rural roads,” Highways and Transportation Minister Maynard Sonntag said. “We have 101 major road construction projects on 53 different highways.”

Nearly $13.3 million will be dedicated this construction season to twinning on the national highway system. “We continue to meet our twinning commitment with equal effort on Highway 1 and on Highway 16,” Sonntag said. “The federal budget was a disappointment again, so every piece of twinning will again be provincially funded.”