A busy Saskatchewan highway is receiving a $7.6-million makeover to improve traffic flow and safety.
Work is underway on a project that will see the construction of eight passing lanes on Highway 7 between Delisle and Rosetown. The work will create four westbound and four eastbound passing lanes, each four kilometres in length.
The highway was chosen for the improvements based on traffic count and the number of passing opportunities. Approximately 3,000 vehicles use the stretch of highway each day, with 25 percent of that truck traffic, according to the provincial government.
"It's not just the traffic on the road that makes it difficult to pass, but it's the sightlines; there are a lot of trees, a lot of curves, it's a bit hilly and it really does make it difficult to pass,” said provincial highways minister Nancy Heppner.
“I've driven this highway a lot. You see people taking chances that are not necessarily the safest."
The provincial and federal governments are each contributing $3.8 million toward the project.
"It's a very busy highway. It's a main corridor from Saskatoon through to Calgary so I think it's going to benefit in economic growth,” said Kelly Block, the Conservative MP for Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar.
“We're going to see mobility increase and obviously it's going to be safer for the residents who live in these communities and travel back and forth along this highway every day."
The entire passing lane project is expected to be complete by next fall.
