St. Adolphe just got one step closer to the top of the province’s list for road repair projects. According to the Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI) online projects map, a plan to resurface Main Street is officially in the design phase.
According to an MTI spokesperson, the project will come in at an estimated cost of $3.7 million and cover the northbound and southbound lanes of the 1.8 kilometre-stretch of street from Highway 210 to the town’s southern boundary.
“Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure is currently working on a detailed design for PR 200 and will be working in collaboration with the RM of Ritchot on the project,” the spokesperson told The Citizen. “The project is a thin lift overlay, which is a layer of pavement that is applied to the surface which will greatly improve the surface conditions and extend the service life of PR 200.”
Tendering for the project is anticipated for the spring of 2025 and, weather permitting, work will be completed by fall of the same year.
It’s unclear how many years the residents of St. Adolphe have had to wait for a Main Street renewal. MTI would not provide that information. In 2016, Highway 200 south of St. Adolphe underwent a major renewal but St. Adolphe’s Main Street was not included.
For years, this stretch of busy roadway has been subjected to constant use due to residential growth both in St. Adolphe itself and beyond. As a popular commuter route, the street’s surface hasn’t fared well.
Because the street falls under provincial jurisdiction, the RM’s hands have been tied on the matter, apart from appealing to the province for action. Until now, the province’s response has been to patch the growing number of potholes.
Frustrated, a group of about a dozen St. Adolphe residents reached out to their local MP Ron Schuler in February of this year, requesting that something more permanent be done.
This month, the residents received letters from MTI, indicating the department’s intent to monitor the street’s condition and repair holes as needed. Residents were advised, as well, of the impending 2025 resurfacing project.
IDC Main Street
This spring, after many years of lobbying the provincial government, the RM of Ritchot was proud to announce a complete renewal of Île-des-Chênes’s Main Street, which also falls under provincial jurisdiction.
According to the RM, this stretch of road hadn’t seen any major repairs in almost 50 years. In that time, it had also reached a desperate state of disrepair.
When the IDC Main Street project was announced last year, Public Works manager Mike Dumaine informed The Citizen that the RM would be applying to the province to take jurisdiction over IDC’s Main Street once the province brought it back to a state that meets provincially regulated standards.
That work is now in full swing.
“Right now, we are focused on completing the IDC Main Street revitalization project,” says CAO Mitch Duval. “Once complete, it is our hope that the province will grant it to us. At this time, though, nothing has been formalized.”
According to the RM, the total estimated cost of the IDC project is $2.7 million, shared between the province, the RM, and local developers. The province’s share comes to $1 million.
“The province’s investment into the Île-des-Chênes Main Street project is for the surface of the road, which is MTI’s responsibility,” says the MTI spokesperson. “The RM of Ritchot’s investment is for components of the project beyond the surface of the highway such as improved sidewalks, bicycle paths, and other improvements that fall under the municipality’s jurisdiction. By partnering together, all improvements can be completed in one project, resulting in various efficiencies.”
They add that MTI department staff are in the habit of meeting with municipal governments to seek information on local issues and concerns.
“While there is no official cost-share program at present [for the St. Adolphe project], MTI continues to consider municipal requests/proposal for cost-sharing upgrades based on available budget and other provincial priorities,” MTI says.
As to whether the current plan for a thin lift overlay on St. Adolphe’s Main Street will match the major destruction and reconstruction of IDC’s Main Street, the MTI spokesperson failed to comment.
