The RM of Meadow Lake is looking to build a bridge to better safety. Thanks to funding support from the provincial government, the rural municipality will soon be going ahead with the replacement of the Matchee Neeb bridge located east of Meadow Lake. “Basically we are replacing the entire bridge on the paved road just north of Tolko with a larger wider structure,” explained RM chief administrative officer Richard Levesque. “The existing bridge is not the proper width and has been a safety concern.” Recently, the Government of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) announced more than $34.4 million for 32 road, bridge and culvert projects, which supports the export of goods and resources originating in rural municipalities. Through the Rural Integrated Roads for Growth (RIRG) program, the Ministry of Highways will invest more than $12.6 million toward the projects and rural municipalities will fund the remaining more than $21.7 million. The work will occur in the 2025 construction season.

“These projects will enhance the integration of rural roads and the provincial highway network so farmers, ranchers, businesses and industries can ship their goods more efficiently,” highways minister David Marit said. “This program recognizes rural municipal roads play a valuable role in Saskatchewan’s export-based economy.” This was echoed by Bill Huber, SARM president.

“Perhaps now more than ever, improving our transportation infrastructure in rural areas is needed to bring stability and strength to our economy – not only as a province, but also as a nation,” Huber noted. “Without reliable roads, bridges, and culverts, we can’t get goods to market. For this reason, SARM is very pleased to see these RMs receive funding assistance through the RIRG program.” The provincially funded RIRG program administered by SARM invests in constructing and upgrading RM road infrastructure. RIRG funding is up to 50 per cent per project to a maximum of $500,000 for a road and to a maximum $1 million for a large culvert or bridge. RMs fund the remaining project costs and are responsible for managing their approved projects. A program management board of SARM and the Ministry of Highways representatives oversees RIRG.

“The RM and Tolko have been contributing to a reserve fund for future road repairs for a number of years, so we will be accessing $1.4 million from the reserve and $1 million from the provincial Rural Integrated Roads for Growth fund,” Levesque said. “We do not know what the total price will be yet because it has not been tendered yet, and hopefully the components will not be affected by U.S. tariffs.” Levesque also said the existing bridge is close to the end of its estimated lifespan. “A temporary bridge will also need to be put in place until the new bridge is completed,” he added.