Province gives update on northern Sask. highway projects

Work on that project began in June and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Breaking rock near the Highway 102 bridge. (Image Credit: submitted/Sask. Highways)

North of Prince Albert, work also began in June on a six-kilometre twinning project on Highway 2, from north of Red Wing Road to north of White Star Road. Gartner said about $12.6 million in grading work will build two new lanes and improve an adjacent service road by the end of 2026.

The federal and provincial governments are each funding 50 per cent of the cost. Paving is expected to happen next year under a separate contract, with the overall twinning project expected to be complete by the end of 2027.

Prince Albert Mayor Bill Powalinsky said the work matters not only to people who live in the city, but to residents and businesses throughout the region who rely on P.A. as a service hub.

“Prince Albert is transitioning from being a gateway city, which implies just going through, to now becoming a destination point,” Powalinsky said.

He said improved two-way access north of the city will encourage more stops in and around Prince Albert.

“We’re all about regional economic development,” he said.

Powalinsky said the city is also watching broader transportation work, including discussion around rail service connecting Prince Albert eastward and eventually to the Churchill line.

When asked what highway-related project would make the biggest difference for Prince Albert, Powalinsky pointed to the long-discussed need for a second bridge.

He said industrial growth north of the city will continue to increase pressure on the existing bridge and could also renew discussion about a route around the city that would keep dangerous goods from being hauled through Prince Albert.

“It’s not a question of if, it’s going to be when we need to close that bridge down,” Powalinsky said, pointing to the age of the current structure, the amount of traffic using it and the heavier equipment now travelling across it.

Prince Albert and District Chamber of Commerce CEO Patty Hughes said highways are economic lifelines for northern Saskatchewan.

“They connect our northern industries to markets, our workers to jobs, our families to services, and our communities to one another,” Hughes said. Improved transportation routes reduce costs for employers, support supply chains and make it easier for businesses to grow and hire.

Other northern and central Saskatchewan projects highlighted Monday include bridge and culvert work near Smeaton, Melfort and Tisdale, along with bridge replacements and repairs in the Meadow Lake area, near La Loche and around Pelican Narrows.

Gartner also pointed to Highway 135 near Pelican Narrows, where about $9.3 million is being invested to reconstruct, improve and resurface more than 16 kilometres with gravel. That work began in May and is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

A $7.3-million project is also underway to replace the Highway 955 Clearwater Bridge north of La Loche, while a new two-lane Highway 165 bridge over the Smoothstone River is expected to be completed before the end of the year after a temporary one-lane bridge was installed earlier this year.

The province’s 2026-27 highways budget is $764 million, including $401 million for capital projects. The government has said this year’s work will improve about 850 kilometres of provincial highways and includes $86.3 million to build, operate and maintain highways and airports in northern Saskatchewan.

Gartner ended his remarks with a reminder for drivers to slow down in work zones, obey signs and flag people, and watch for crews working on or near the road.

“We want everyone to get home safely,” he said.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com

by Susan McNeil

Province gives update on northern Sask. highway projects

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