Urban Highway Connector Program

Saskatchewan's population and business activity is increasingly centered in cities and larger towns. These urban communities serve as key collection and interchange points where export bound products trucked along rural highways are linked to national and international transportation corridors.

Urban connectors form an essential part of both the national and provincial transportation system. Efficiencies and the public interest are best served by the free flow of traffic, including travel on urban connectors. Producers and shippers cannot afford delays in urban areas caused by transportation bottlenecks.

The Urban Highway Connector policy recognizes that our urban communities play an important role in the provincial economy as generators of economic activity. Urban communities serve as key collection points where manufactured goods are warehoused and shipped by truck or rail to and from gateway ports.

The policy provides a framework for funding urban highway connectors based on the provincial interest and is built on several guiding principles:

• Equitable treatment of all urban municipalities;
• Transparent and consistent policy framework;
• Reduced traffic congestion in and around urban centres;
• Enhanced traffic safety in urban areas;
• Improved corridor continuity and level of service on urban connectors
• Enhanced planning to meet future transportation demand; and
• Targeted resources to maximize benefits for the provincial economy.

The investment in urban connectors will reduce the cost of doing business and make Saskatchewan more attractive to investors. As well, it will improve quality of life through improved access and mobility for urban residents.