A committee of municipalities along Highway 39/6 recently became incorporated as the Soo Line Highway Corridor Association, and are seeking to press the provincial and federal governments to twin the highway from North Portal to Regina.

The association is made up of rural and urban communities along Highway 39 which support this proposal, which would help create a twinned north-south link extending from Prince Albert to Bismarck, N.D., which then provides access to the entire U.S. and Mexico.

The route is 250 kilometres long from North Portal to Regina, and is part of the national highway system. It is considered a key component of economic development in the province, and needs to be recognized as such, say committee members.

"I don't believe the city would have anything to lose by twinning the highway when you look at tourism aspects, economic development and safety," said Mayor Debra Button, who represents Weyburn on the committee.

The association is chaired by Dylan Clarke of the Southeast Regional Economic Development Authority (SEREDA), based in Weyburn.

In a statement, Clarke noted Saskatchewan had $6.6 billion in trade in 2003, of which three-quarters is transported by truck. Access to the markets south are mostly through twinned routes in Alberta and Manitoba, while Saskatchewan is the only province that does not have a twinned route into the U.S.

In terms of tourism, this industry contributes over $1 billion to the province's economy each year, and having a twinned north/south highway would help lead to increased tourism into the province, and would mean more business for tourist operators locally.

One concern in this regard, said the mayor, is map-finders on the Internet don't even point motorists to Weyburn on Highway 39 even when it's the shortest route. The highway should be twinned to allow for greater volumes of traffic.

"The count of truck traffic is growing every day. It's a major safety issue," noted Mayor Button. Statistics show that going from a two-lane to a four-lane highway reduces collisions by 60 per cent.

Highway traffic counts are continuing to increase, said Clarke, and now compare to sections of the Trans-Canada Highway and other routes that are currently being twinned.

The Soo Line Highway Corridor Association believes strongly in this initiative, said Clarke, and are looking for support for this project from the public, business and industry, as well as all three levels of government.

A key component of the province's new "Transportation for Economic Advantage" program are international gateways and corridors that are a part of the national highway system.

"Highways 39/6 fit this program perfectly, and should be given serious consideration for upgrading as a result," said Clarke.

Mayor Button said meetings are being set up with both provincial and federal government representatives to lobby for this project, and noted a presentation will be coming to the next city council meeting on May 28.