This year, there is extensive construction on highway 10 between Fort Qu'appelle and Balgonie. A new passing lane is being installed, which is welcome, since the road does have a fair amount of traffic, much of it coming from right here in Yorkton. However, if I was making a dream list of highway improvements in this province, I'll have to admit that this would not be the top of my list. Instead, I'd be throwing money at highway 16.
The Yellowhead is the main way people from this city head to Saskatoon, and while that city is further away than Regina, it's also the city I'm most inclined to visit. Most of my friends live in Saskatoon, and at the end of the day you want to travel to the place most likely to have people you want to see. Unfortunately, I travel to Saskatoon quite rarely, and while I will lament that I don't get to the city as often as I would like, the reason is clear in this case, I just don't like driving the Yellowhead.
I actually had no problems with highway 10 before construction began on the new lanes. It is a good idea to be proactive about traffic, especially as it is steadily increasing, but the road is reasonably clean, up to date and easy to handle. I never really felt as though I was in danger driving down the road, though I welcome the improvements.
Highway 16 is another story entirely. The surface, even after some recent construction, is rough. It needs a pretty comprehensive redo in that area alone. It's also cursed with narrow shoulders and isn't quite built for the amount of traffic that uses it. That traffic is only going to increase, as mines have been built nearby and the entire region is undergoing growth. Then you add the amount of traffic from the various towns that dot the road. It's a stretch of highway that serves as a vital link between different cities on the prairies, but in some sections - in particular between Yorkton and Saskatoon - it feels neglected and it doesn't feel like a road that is as safe as it needs to be.
It's a shame that the highway itself is a disappointment, there are plenty of places to visit from tip to tail and plenty of reasons to travel it. I'm always quite pleased when I finally reach the destination at the end of the Yellowhead. It's just that the highway itself is such a miserable ribbon of asphalt, and it simply doesn't have to be. A smoother, wider road surface could make travelling that much more rewarding, or at least significantly less wearying than it is at the moment. Yorkton and Saskatoon are two places that are going to be connected through people, commerce, and other concerns. It would be nice if we could be connected by a road that's worth driving.
Road improvements are expensive, and it's without question that the list of highways in the province that need improvement is going to be long and varied. It's also true that everyone thinks the roads they travel are the most important roads of all. With all that under consideration, it's important to remember that the Yellowhead itself was designed as a main artery, a connecting thread through the prairies, and it is a vital link between the various cities that are on that chain. It would be nice if the highway itself was worthy of the traffic that drives down it every day, and the people who live on its edges.
