Traffic flowing a little more freely on Highway 7 outside Saskatoon

People are finding the drive between Saskatoon and Vanscoy a lot smoother these days.

The twinned section of Highway 7 along that stretch officially opened to traffic on Thursday.

The completion of work on that stretch of roadway is just the first phase of a project that will twin the highway all the way to Delisle, about 40 kilometres southwest of Saskatoon.

Highway 7 connects drivers traveling from Saskatoon to places like Kindersley, Rosetown and Calgary.

According to the Saskatchewan Government, over the last 10 years, traffic volumes have increased by about 50 per cent along the route, from 5,000 vehicles per day to about 9,100 per day.