The provincial government expects to begin paving Highway 10 between Flin Flon and the airport in late summer, with the completion date dependent on weather.
A government spokesman said a contract for the paving has been awarded. It is anticipated to cost $9 million and will mark the final step in the province’s three-year project to upgrade the 17-km stretch of highway.
The total three-year price tag is expected to come in at $24 million, with about $14 million having already been spent, the spokesman said.
Former premier Greg Selinger announced the highway project in 2011, later saying it would cost north of $20 million. Work began in 2014.
The upgrades have been the subject of some debate. Flin Flon mayor Cal Huntley has said that while he appreciates the investment, he felt that some of the money allotted for the work could have been better spent on infrastructure within city limits.
Others have said the upgrades were long overdue and that a wider highway with smoother turns will increase safety, particularly given the number of ore trucks and semis that travel on the road.
