Highway 16 passing lanes promise to provide safety, increase in economic activity; province says

The Government of Saskatchewan officially unveiled its completed passing lanes from the Manitoba border to Clavet, Sask. on Highway 16. (Brady Lang/CTV News)

YORKTON. SASK — The passing lanes through Highway 16 from the Manitoba border to Clavet are officially open.

The Ministry of Highways held a ribbon cutting in the parking lot of Richardson Oilseeds in Yorkton Thursday to mark the occasion.

According to Minister responsible, Jeremy Cockrill, 26 lanes were created during construction, with the project’s cost totalling $50 million.

The lanes, Cockrill added, will allow for more of an economic boost for Yorkton itself, as more industry continues to come into the community — and the lanes will also help for the general public.

“There’s some really exciting things happening in Yorkton and we know as economic activity increases there’s going to be more truck traffic,” he told CTV News Thursday.

“There’s also a lot of great lakes in this area, whether its good spirit or crystal lake, we want to make sure people are travelling safely, whether they’re hauling canola or whether they’re going camping for the weekend.”

Yorkton MLA Greg Ottenbreit echoed Cockrill’s comments.

“Any infrastructure enhancement we see in the area is obviously a benefit,” he explained.

“But when we look at the economic development, the economics coming to the Yorkton area — one of the largest trading areas in the province — it’s really important we counter that economic impact with infrastructure investment to make sure we can handle the traffic safely and effectively.”

Passing lanes are typically a minimum of two kilometres in length, and it allows drivers the chance to pass slowly moving vehicles – safely.