To many, the delivery of the 2014 budget was a somewhat lacklustre event as the provincial government largely held the line on spending as it deals with decreasing revenues.
For the residents of southeast Saskatchewan however, the 2014 budget will be one to remember as it confirmed Premier Brad Wall's pledge to make the twinning of Highway 39 a priority for his Sask. Party government.
Delivered Thursday in the provincial legislature, the budget included money to begin pre-construction planning for twinning Highways 39 and 6 from Estevan to Regina as well as the eight-kilometre stretch of Highway 39 from Estevan to Bienfait.
News that twinning was moving to the planning stage has been received warmly throughout the southeast.
The Time to Twin Highway 39 Committee has been the most vocal proponent and began lobbying the provincial government a number of years ago. Chairwoman Marge Young said they were pleased to hear the government's announcement.
"That means it must be on a priority list and if it gets to a planning and design stage, that means they're ready to start a land procurement process," Young said. "They're ready to start on it, that makes it official and knowing there is already a move being made to twin that piece from the Bienfait turnoff to Estevan, means we're getting there."
Along with the twinning announcement, Young said the group was also pleased to learn that Highway 39 will be repaved from Estevan to Macoun and that some intersections will be reconfigured along that route.
"We understand that will include much better turning lanes at Hitchcock and Macoun as well as at Breeze Street and Sister Roddy Road in Estevan. That will make a big difference on the safety side," she said.
The City of Estevan has also been among the many groups calling for twinning and Mayor Roy Ludwig said he, too was pleased with Thursday's announcement.
"They are having the right discussions around (twinning) from Bienfait to Estevan and then thereafter from Estevan to Regina," Ludwig said. "We are very excited about that coming to fruition at long last. We realize it will be a few years before we see progress."
As MLA for the Estevan Constituency, Doreen Eagles has spent many days travelling from her Macoun area home to Regina and seen firsthand as the volume of traffic has increased on the highway. She has been among the many lobbying the Ministry of Highways and was very happy to see it make the budget.
"When I was first elected and I would go to Regina, I would count the semis and there would be 40 semis back in 1999. Last week when I came home there were 183 semis that I met," Eagles said.
"The traffic on there has really increased and when you have an economy the way ours is and the increase in population, it's time."
Doug Wakabayashi of the Ministry of Highways said they have already begun a location study for the route between Estevan and Bienfait. That study, which will determine the location and alignment of the new lanes, is expected to be completed later this spring or early summer.
"Once the location is approved we will start a functional planning study and what that does is help us determine how much land is needed," he said. "Even though it is a relatively short stretch of highway, it will look at if there is any intersections where they will be and how they will be aligned and access points to and from the highway, and also look at any other considerations like if there are overhead or underground utilities that need to be relocated and environmental concerns."
With respect to the Estevan to Regina route, Wakabayashi said the ministry is currently doing some "high-level analysis," which is to be followed by the location study. He expects the location analysis to begin later this year.
"It does take some time to do this work, especially when you get to that section from Estevan to Regina. You are talking roughly 200 kilometres so that will involve some consultations with municipal governments and other impacted stakeholders, landowners, any commercial businesses along that road."
Wakabayashi added it is premature to give an estimated start date on either project as well as the cost.
