Province moving ahead on passing lanes between Melville and Fort Qu’Appelle

The Ministry of Highways is pushing ahead on a passing lane project for Highway 10 between Fort Qu’Appelle and Melville.

The project is expected to move out of the design phase early in 2025, with tendering to follow in the spring and construction to begin after that, depending on both contractor capacity and the weather.

Gus Lagace, the mayor of Fort Qu’Appelle, said the new lanes will be a boon to the community and the local economy.

“Infrastructure projects like these will improve the flow of commuter, business, industry and tourism traffic on Highway 10 and benefit communities and neighbours along and near this important transportation corridor,” Lagace said in a statement.

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The mayor’s comments were echoed by Susan Ewart, the executive director of the Saskatchewan Trucking Association.

“More passing lanes on key provincial highway corridors will assist with the movement of trucks shipping Saskatchewan goods and help keep the economy moving,” Ewart said.

The province began testing out passing lanes in a 2013 pilot project on Highway 10 between Fort Qu’Appelle and Balgonie. The lanes are typically two kilometres long, allowing additional opportunities for drivers to pass and reducing collisions while saving on the cost of twinning the entire highway.

“Passing lane projects are a cost-effective investment to make our highways safer and more efficient,” Saskatchewan Highways Minister Lori Carr said in a statement.

“This next set of Highway 10 passing lanes are part of an ongoing strategy that will guide us as we move these types of projects from the drawing board to reality to keep building and protecting our great province.”