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1.2 million litres of paint applied to Saskatchewan highways

 If all the lines painted were placed end-to-end, they would be more than long enough to circle the earth
yellow line highway
Glass beads are added to that paint, which enhances durability and improves visibility at night.

REGINA — Between May and December, Ministry of Highways crews repainted nearly 21,000 kilometres of centre lines and more than 38,500 kilometres of edge lines on Saskatchewan highways. If all those lines were placed end-to-end, they would be more than long enough to circle the earth.

More than 33,000 pavement signs, including arrows, medians, railroad crossings, bridge markers and crosswalks were also painted this past season.

In total, crews applied more than 1.2 million litres of paint on Saskatchewan highways, in a $9.3 million project. This is comparable to recent years.

The Ministry of Highways use waterborne or low VOC paint on 70 per cent of centre lines and 90 per cent of shoulder lines.

In addition, 1,900 drums of glass beads are added to that paint, which enhances durability and improves visibility at night.

Motorists heading to Regina from the north on Highway 11 last year may have noticed some unusual pavement markings as the Ministry of Highways was testing paint products.

Samples of a number of paint products were applied to the highway to test which last the longest, and best hold to the road surface. After six months each product was to be evaluated, with the best ones being used for the following four years.