Improving Saskatchewan’s Highways through Federal-Provincial Partnerships

The National Highway System (NHS) provides the foundation of our entire transportation network and supports economic activity on a national, regional and provincial basis by tying together major population centres, essential inter-modal facilities, and international border crossings. For many Canadian businesses, the NHS has become the principal transportation channel used to obtain imports and access export markets. The development and maintenance of the NHS’s infrastructure is a crucial component of a competitive economy. The NHS in Saskatchewan supports a wide range of economic activities including agriculture and food processing, manufacturing, gas and oil, mining, tourism and many service industries. Through the Strategic Highway Infrastructure Program (SHIP) and the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund (CSIF), the federal government and the Province of Saskatchewan are costsharing highway improvement infrastructure projects worth over $200 million on the NHS. Upon completion of these projects, Saskatchewan will have a four-lane divided Trans-Canada Highway through the province from the Manitoba border to the Alberta border and a four-lane divided Yellowhead Highway 16 from Saskatoon to the Alberta border. These infrastructure projects will improve the safety and mobility of major transportation corridors; thereby, facilitating continued growth in Saskatchewan as well as Canada. This paper describes partnerships made between the federal government and the Province of Saskatchewan to commit to improving the NHS in Saskatchewan, the highway infrastructure projects currently underway in the province through the SHIP and CSIF Contribution Agreements, and the expected safety and operational benefits resulting from the completion of these projects.