Repairing or replacing 28 bridges and culverts this year will help bring rural corridors up to much needed primary weight standards, says Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities president David Marit.
Projects in 24 RMs will receive $4.8 million from the Municipal Roads for the Economy Program.
The most recent provincial budget allocated $23.5 million for the program, which is the same amount as last year.
The bridge component pays up to 90 percent of eligible costs to municipalities. Marit said bridges can cost up to $700,000 each.
“We’ve got a lot of good roads out there, but the bridges can’t take the weights of these trucks that are on them now so we can’t bring (the roads) to primary weight standards,” he said. “We’re targeting the bridges in these corridors and bringing them up to standard.”
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RMs apply to the program and a committee comprising SARM and highways ministry representatives decides which projects will proceed, based on traffic volumes and the condition of the bridge or culvert.
The MREP will also help pay half the cost to upgrade more than 165 kilometres of road.
The heavy haul-high volume component pays for grading, clay capping and paving on municipal roads that see high volumes of truck traffic. Fifteen RMs will receive a total of $7.3 million.
Sixteen RMs will share $4.3 million to develop primary weight truck routes through SARM’s Clearing the Path (CTP) initiative.
These roads usually cross more than one municipality and must connect to primary weight provincial highways.
MREP also pays to operate and maintain previously built CTP routes in 175 RMs.
Highways minister Jim Reiter said municipalities play a key role in the provincial economy and deserve the support.
