The first section of overhead lighting on the Trans-Canada Highway through the City of Swift Current has been completed.
As of Friday evening, a small section of light posts were installed and deemed fully functioning on a stretch of roadway heading westbound, by the off-ramp located on 22nd Avenue Northeast.
"We're very pleased with the results of what has happened so far," said Mitch Minken, GM of Infrastructure and Operations with the City of Swift Current. "When you go into these projects you do a bunch of stuff on paper and you do a bunch of engineering designs, then you finally get it up and functioning and it looks as good as you thought it would on paper, it gives you quite a bit of satisfaction. I'm very happy with the results."
The joint-project by the City of Swift Current and the Saskatchewan Government (Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure) will feature 188 lights once completed.
"They (Saskatchewan Government) provided the engineering design and all of the material for the lights as well," Minked noted. "We (the City of Swift Current) provided all the labour to install and maintain them in the future."
Upon completion, lighting will be installed throughout the entire section of highway in the city including all of the on and off-ramps. Lighting will also be added at the Springfield intersection on the west side of Swift Current.
The highway lighting project is aimed at providing enhanced safety to motorists through the stretch of highway that runs through Swift Current.
"I heard from many constituents who are concerned about the number of nighttime collisions that have occurred on this stretch of the #1 Highway through the city," said the Premier of Saskatchewan and Swift Current MLA Brad Wall. "This new lighting will help to improve visibility, and additional safety measures will be considered if necessary."
The projected time of completion for the overhead lighting project is the end of August.