The Government of Saskatchewan has released its tenders for the 2018 construction season and it's projected to be a $220-million investment.

There are 550 total kilometres of surface improvements planned, consisting of over 30 construction contracts, half a dozen bridge and culvert projects and more than a dozen crushing and stockpiling contracts.

There are plans to upgrade HIghway 4 north of Val Marie and resurface Highway 32 near Cabri next spring. Bridge construction on Highway 4 near Cadillac is already supposed to be firing up.

Highways and Infrastructrue Minister David Marit said the province hopes to keep doing work on Highway 4 south to the US border.

"Number 4 Highway is a very busy highway, and we recognize that and wanted to make sure we're keeping on top of what is needed," said Marit. "It's important to us to do that. And we're trying to continue on with some of these projects where we started on these highways, to continue on until we get to the final destination. In the case of Number 4 hopefully sometime we can get to the border."

Marit said releasing tenders now keeps costs lower come spring.

"There's quite a bit of aggregate involved. So why we try to do those, we put those out in our fall tenders so that when the contractor sees these tenders come out they can source their gravel, and then start their gravel haul so they can get it in place for the tender in the spring to start the work in the spring," he said. "That obviously drives our costs down and drives their bids down."

Marit said construction on Highway 4 north of Swift Current towards Stewart Valley should be complete mid October.