Saskatchewan’s highways will be getting spruced up in the coming weeks.
The provincial government has announced an additional $1.5 million will be spent on painting lines on highways.
“Good pavement marking is a cost-effective safety investment that reduces collisions and saves lives,” Highways and Infrastructure Minister Greg Ottrenbreit said in a press release. “An additional $1.5 million will be invested this year to increase the ministry’s pavement marking program by 10 per cent.”
Approximately 50,000 km of centre and shoulder lines will be painted, along with more than 34,000 pavement signs, such as arrows and stop bars.
More than 1,000,000 litres of paint is applied to the roads in an average year. Spherical glass beads are added to the paint to add reflection for nighttime driving and provide durability.
These lines provide critical information, such as where to pull over in an emergency, as well as alerting drivers to passing lanes and intersection locations. Due to wear and tear, the lines must be repainted annually.
Pavement marking typically begins in late May or early June and continues into the early winter. Drivers are required to slow to 60 km/h when passing line painting trucks with lights flashing.
A weekly highway construction update is published online that provides up-to-date information on highway projects.
