REGINA, Sask. — The province is injecting more than $50 million into the provincial and municipal road network in Lloydminster and west-central Saskatchewan, to better support the region’s growing economy and roadways that are heavily used by trucks, announced the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure.

“Our province is going through an amazing period of rapid expansion and growth, and the time is now to invest in the infrastructure that is so crucial to sustaining Saskatchewan’s current economic momentum,” said Highways and Infrastructure Minister Wayne Elhard.

The Lloydminster twinning project consists of construction on Hwy. 16 through the city of Lloydminster, which is now underway. This project involves a 1.6 km section of single-lane highway along 44th Street under the provincial “Urban Highway Connector Program.” Urban connectors are urban municipal roads that connect to two provincial highways.

The upgrades to rural corridors in west central Saskatchewan consist of several highway improvement projects, according to the Ministry:

* The Turtleford area will benefit from a grading and paving project slated for an 19 km section of thin membrane surface highway, located east of this community, on Hwy. 3, and expected to be completed this summer. Work crews will also strengthen more than 22 km of paved highway, located immediately west of Turtleford on Hwy 303, which is expected to be completed by 2009.

* The St. Walburg area will benefit from two surfacing projects underway this summer, including a surfacing project 14 km north of this community, on Hwy. 26. Another project will be tendered later this summer, to widen and surface 14 km located immediately north of the first project, and expected to be complete by the end of next summer.

* A shoulder widening and paving project is slated for a six km section of Hwy 4 about 38 km north of Glaslyn. That project is expected to be complete by late fall 2008.

* A new bridge access is being built, off Hwy. 4, into Aquadeo Park.

Funding is also being slated for municipal road improvements in this area, which have been impacted by the increase in heavy truck traffic.