The possibility of having passing lanes on Highways 39 and 6 between Estevan and Regina has motivated the local Time to Twin committee to renew its lobbying efforts.
The government announced in its budget on June 1 that it would invest $1.3 million in planning for twinning and passing lanes on the 200-kilometre stretch of highway between Estevan and Regina.
They had been stating for several years that it was planning to twin the two highways, and numerous meetings on the topic had already taken place.
Doug Wakabayashi, the executive director for communications and public relations with the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure, said earlier this month that they are looking at passing lanes for some stretches of the highway with lower traffic volumes, but their plan is to eventually twin the entire stretch from Estevan to Regina.
The Time to Twin committee is questioning why the government is looking at passing lanes again. Committee members held a meeting on June 15, and the following day, Marge Young, who has been part of the committee since 2009, called the Mercury to offer their thoughts on the situation.
She said she was furious when she heard the government hint about passing lanes, especially since the government is spending so much money on the Regina bypass.
“We feel that it’s sacrificing us, sacrificing our safe highways, and that’s not fair,” Young said, reading from a statement prepared by the committee members.
They believe passing lanes will be ineffective due to the heavy truck traffic that uses Highways 39 and 6. The two highways play an important role in trade routes for Canada and the U.S.
“Why put in passing lanes that you say that eventually you would rip up and twin it at some time in the future? If Premier Brad Wall thinks that the Saskatchewan economy and oil will rebound, why consider passing lanes at all? Do it right and do it safely the first time,” she said.
The price of oil remains relatively low, so Young reasoned the cost to twin the highways would be lower. Not only is asphalt cheaper, but contractors bids are lower, aggregate is cheaper, supply companies have reduced prices, and the government could use Saskatchewan workers on the project and provide a boost to the economy.
“This highway project would instill confidence in our Saskatchewan people, and in our economy, that our economy is going to rebound, and we know it will,” said Young.
She predicted passing lanes would lead to motorists driving well above the speed limit on the extra lane so they could get around the heavy trucks and the other slower traffic, and so they could be at the front of the line when the passing lane ends.
The committee has also renewed their question of how many people use Highways 47 and 33 to travel Estevan to Regina, instead of Highways 39 and 6.
Young and the other committee members noted that Highways 39 and 6 currently have about 3,500 vehicles per day, but they believe that number would jump if the highways were twinned, because fewer people would take alternative routes to Regina.
“We say that the traffic numbers have slowed down a little, but there’s still a large percentage of vehicles that travel to Regina via Stoughton (on Highways 47 and 33) because they want to avoid Highway 39,” said Young.
They want to know why the government didn’t discuss passing lanes as a possibility during the provincial election campaign in April.
People who live north, east and west of Regina have access to twinned highways, and the committee wants to know when those who live south of the Queen City will have such a luxury. If they twin Highway 6 from Regina to the junction with Highway 39, and opt for passing lanes for Highway 39, then that’s not fair for people in the southeast.
“What about the other thousands of people from southeast Saskatchewan that have to travel to Regina for many reasons? Why do they not warrant safe, twinned highways? We pay taxes, too,” said Young. “Our oil revenues help out the provincial economy.”
A petition that appeared on the change.org website in 2013 generated thousands of signatures from people clamouring to have the highways twinned. The South East Transportation Planning Committee and the South Central Transportation Planning Committee have voiced their support for double lanes.
Young said they’re deciding their next step, but it appears the committee will ramp up their lobbying efforts. She has already spoken to the Southeast Transportation Planning Committee, and they hope to meet with Estevan MLA Lori Carr, Weyburn Mayor Debra Button and possibly Souris-Moose Mountain MP Robert Kitchen.
The committee feels “a great sense of discouragement and betrayal” over the possibility of passing lanes.
They are urging who is upset, including elected officials, to email or contact Premier Wall and Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure Minister Nancy Heppner, and share their harrowing experiences about the two highways.The possibility of having passing lanes on Highways 39 and 6 between Estevan and Regina has motivated the local Time to Twin committee to renew its lobbying efforts.
The government announced in its budget on June 1 that it would invest $1.3 million in planning for twinning and passing lanes on the 200-kilometre stretch of highway between Estevan and Regina.
They had been stating for several years that it was planning to twin the two highways, and numerous meetings on the topic had already taken place.
Doug Wakabayashi, the executive director for communications and public relations with the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure, said earlier this month that they are looking at passing lanes for some stretches of the highway with lower traffic volumes, but their plan is to eventually twin the entire stretch from Estevan to Regina.
The Time to Twin committee is questioning why the government is looking at passing lanes again. Committee members held a meeting on June 15, and the following day, Marge Young, who has been part of the committee since 2009, called the Mercury to offer their thoughts on the situation.
She said she was furious when she heard the government hint about passing lanes, especially since the government is spending so much money on the Regina bypass.
“We feel that it’s sacrificing us, sacrificing our safe highways, and that’s not fair,” Young said, reading from a statement prepared by the committee members.
They believe passing lanes will be ineffective due to the heavy truck traffic that uses Highways 39 and 6. The two highways play an important role in trade routes for Canada and the U.S.
“Why put in passing lanes that you say that eventually you would rip up and twin it at some time in the future? If Premier Brad Wall thinks that the Saskatchewan economy and oil will rebound, why consider passing lanes at all? Do it right and do it safely the first time,” she said.
The price of oil remains relatively low, so Young reasoned the cost to twin the highways would be lower. Not only is asphalt cheaper, but contractors bids are lower, aggregate is cheaper, supply companies have reduced prices, and the government could use Saskatchewan workers on the project and provide a boost to the economy.
“This highway project would instill confidence in our Saskatchewan people, and in our economy, that our economy is going to rebound, and we know it will,” said Young.
She predicted passing lanes would lead to motorists driving well above the speed limit on the extra lane so they could get around the heavy trucks and the other slower traffic, and so they could be at the front of the line when the passing lane ends.
The committee has also renewed their question of how many people use Highways 47 and 33 to travel Estevan to Regina, instead of Highways 39 and 6.
Young and the other committee members noted that Highways 39 and 6 currently have about 3,500 vehicles per day, but they believe that number would jump if the highways were twinned, because fewer people would take alternative routes to Regina.
“We say that the traffic numbers have slowed down a little, but there’s still a large percentage of vehicles that travel to Regina via Stoughton (on Highways 47 and 33) because they want to avoid Highway 39,” said Young.
They want to know why the government didn’t discuss passing lanes as a possibility during the provincial election campaign in April.
People who live north, east and west of Regina have access to twinned highways, and the committee wants to know when those who live south of the Queen City will have such a luxury. If they twin Highway 6 from Regina to the junction with Highway 39, and opt for passing lanes for Highway 39, then that’s not fair for people in the southeast.
“What about the other thousands of people from southeast Saskatchewan that have to travel to Regina for many reasons? Why do they not warrant safe, twinned highways? We pay taxes, too,” said Young. “Our oil revenues help out the provincial economy.”
A petition that appeared on the change.org website in 2013 generated thousands of signatures from people clamouring to have the highways twinned. The South East Transportation Planning Committee and the South Central Transportation Planning Committee have voiced their support for double lanes.
Young said they’re deciding their next step, but it appears the committee will ramp up their lobbying efforts. She has already spoken to the Southeast Transportation Planning Committee, and they hope to meet with Estevan MLA Lori Carr, Weyburn Mayor Debra Button and possibly Souris-Moose Mountain MP Robert Kitchen.
The committee feels “a great sense of discouragement and betrayal” over the possibility of passing lanes.
They are urging who is upset, including elected officials, to email or contact Premier Wall and Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure Minister Nancy Heppner, and share their harrowing experiences about the two highways.
