$100M of land bought for Regina bypass, officials say

Officials say 2,000 acres of land (about eight square kilometres) have been acquired for the construction of the Regina bypass.

The land was purchased for a cost of about $100 million. The purchase involved 199 different pieces of land.

There were 104 landowners affected, including 16 homeowners. Roughly one-third of the land was acquired through expropriation.

Currently, the government has ensured it has access to all the land, as needed. Some of the land acquisitions are still going through the expropriation process to determine the final price tag that will be paid.

"Ultimately right now through the expropriation process, there's a two-year window of a period where we can continue to discuss with landowners," said Doug Wakabayashi, communications director for the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure.

While formal notice to vacate the land has been given, officials said individuals have the option of working with the project company to work out when they need to leave.

Many of the homes will be demolished, although some buildings could be moved.

The price tag for the construction of the bypass is $1.88 billion. The land acquisition cost is in addition to that.

Wakabayashi said the land will exist as crown land, so is not included in the project cost.