The passing lanes between Yorkton and Melville have officially opened.
South of the city, on Highway 10 between Yorkton and Melville, the three sets of passing lanes have been completed, giving greater opportunity for safe passing between the two cities.
The lanes are part of a larger passing lanes project surrounding Yorkton, with three sets of passing lanes currently under construction to the north of the city as well, on Highway 9 on the route to Canora. The entire project has a cost of $39.4 million, and will also include intersection improvements, access consolidation and 55km of paving on Highway 9 and 10.
“Our government will improve more than 1,000 kilometres of provincial highways this year, which is the first year of our 10-year Growth Plan goal to build and upgrade 10,000 km of highways,” Highways and Infrastructure Minister Greg Ottenbreit said in a release. “This passing lanes project is an example of how we are investing to improve traffic flow for the safety of our citizens.”
Mayor Bob Maloney welcomes the potential safety increases that the passing lanes can bring. According to the Government of Saskatchewan, the lanes can reduce collisions by 25 per cent for a cost that is 80 per cent less than twinning.
“Traffic can sometimes be brisk on highways in and out of our city,” Yorkton Mayor Bob Maloney said in a release. “We welcome the improvements on Highway 10 and look forward to improvements north of Yorkton in the near future, which will help safely move people and goods.”
Passing lanes have been a priority for the Government of Saskatchewan. There are also passing lanes being constructed on Highway 7 and 39, while pre-construction work is underway on 24 to 26 passing lane projects coming in the future. Drivers may also be familiar with passing lanes already constructed south of Fort Qu’appelle.
During the opening of the passing lanes, there may be an adjustment period and drivers should be cautious as there may still be reduced speeds required for short periods of time.
