A $66 million twinning project is nearing completion on Highway 7 around Vanscoy in Saskatchewan and is expected to open within the next week, weather permitting.
This is the third and final phase of newly twinned highway around Vanscoy. The 12-kilometres (km) of new lanes around Vanscoy will complete 31-kms of Highway 7 twinning between Saskatoon and Delisle.
“Highway 7 is a busy corridor for commuters and shippers who transport goods to national and international markets,” said Health Minister Jim Reiter. “This twinning project, and the new passing lanes between Delisle and Kindersley, provides more opportunities to pass safely which helps traffic flow efficiently.”
Highway 7 is a key trade route for the province and connects communities such as Kindersley, Rosetown, Delisle, and Saskatoon. It also connects Calgary and ports on the west coast. Over the last 10 years, traffic volumes along the entire highway have increased by about 20 per cent, from nearly 3,000 vehicles per day to more than 3,500 per day today.
About 13-km of newly constructed lane east of Delisle to Vanscoy opened to traffic in July 2018. In October 2016, nine km of twinned highway opened to traffic between Saskatoon and Vanscoy.
“Our community is excited about the completion of the highway project,” said Robin Odnokon, mayor of Vanscoy. “It will provide safety for our local commuters and all residents who travel the highway. We are very pleased to see this twinning project complete.”
“It will prove to be a major safety improvement for our residents and future residents who travel to Saskatoon for work and appointments,” added Dave Anderchek, mayor of Delisle.
The Government of Canada has provided funding of $27.5 million toward the twinning project.
