The patience of motorists in southeast Saskatchewan has finally paid off, in the form of a shiny new twinned Highway 39 running from Estevan past Bienfait, which was reopened on Thursday.

A new overpass over the route that the coal trucks follow was also constructed.

“The completion of this project demonstrates our government’s commitment to investing in infrastructure that improves the safety and efficiency of Saskatchewan highways,” Highways and Infrastructure Minister David Marit said in a news release.

 “We are pleased to see this double lane highway open to traffic and thank the residents in the area for their patience during construction.  Our government looks forward to the benefits this section of highway will provide to the people of Saskatchewan as well as the trucking industry.”

The new asphalt stretches for around 10 kilometers, and 6,000 vehicles are said to traverse it every day. It rejoins into two lanes south of Bienfait, where an overpass over the coal truck routes has also been constructed for additional safety. Several other intersection improvements near Bienfait have taken place as well to improve visibility and such for drivers.

$12.5 million was provided for the project by the federal government, with the rest being supplied provincially. Originally projected to finish by the end of October, the construction has wrapped up approximately 2 weeks late, an early winter playing a part in that.

While the work is officially completed, clean up remains, and motorists are asked to obey the posted speeds and watch for workers.