As part of its funding and planning for upcoming highway improvements, Highways Minister Lori Carr announced dedicated funding for improvements to the section of Highway 5 east of Saskatoon to the junction of Highway 2. 

Passing lanes and improved turning lanes have been added to Highway 5 west of the Highway 2 junction over the past few years. Yet the more precarious section of highway running east of Saskatoon has seen few if any improvements. The lack of shoulders and the challenging terrain have proven deadly over the years. 

This is the planning year notes Minister Carr with construction beginning in earnest in 2020. She notes, "Part of that planning has to do with the geotechnical challenges and the rolling hills."

Carr recognizes that the forty-kilometre stretch is one of the most travelled secondary corridors in the province. She states, "We will be working with the rural municipalities along the route to determine the passing lane locations and the access points, and we'll also be working on the design for widening and other project details which will be happening within that stretch."

Carr would not commit to whether additional twinning would occur extending from the edge of Saskatoon, but as planning proceeds, more details will be available.

Minister Carr also expanded on broader plans for intersection improvements throughout the province. She does confirm improvements to the junction of Highways 35 and 335 as per recommendations stemming from the Bronco crash. The Safety Improvement Program currently sees expenditures of $7 million dollars annually, but in order to advance the work, the Provincial Government has committed an additional sum.

Carr says, "We felt the roadways are near and dear to our hearts; we all travel them, so we are going to accelerate the program and over the next five years we're going to infuse an additional $65 million. Between the existing funding and the additional funding, it's going to be about $20 million a year put into intersections."