Manitoba’s Transportation and Infrastructure Minister, Doyle Piwniuk, went public on March 13 with the province’s $4.1 billion multi-year infrastructure strategy.
The five-year plan encompasses more than 800 capital projects. High on that list is the twinning of the Trans-Canada Highway to the Ontario border, linking the busy thoroughfare to highway construction already underway on the Ontario side.
Another major objective in the coming years is to upgrade the city’s Perimeter Highway to match freeway standards. Almost $280 million has been dedicated to this project.
Once complete, intersections at Ste. Anne’s Road and McGillivray Boulevard will be improved with highway interchanges similar to the one currently under construction at the Ste. Mary’s Road intersection.
These upgrades should have a positive impact on commuters from across the southeast region.
Building on the government’s stated objective to create an inter-continental trade gateway, $74 million has been allocated to the construction of a northern corridor all the way to Churchill, which would make the export of resources such as liquefied natural gas more feasible in the coming years.
“The Manitoba government continues taking concrete action to improve the safe and free flow of people and goods throughout this province,” said Piwniuk. “We continue to grow Manitoba as a transportation hub that provides industry better trade access to markets and supports investment in trade-based industries.”
Closer to home, the five-year plan includes minor traffic safety improvements in Niverville—specifically, at the corner of Main Street and Fourth Avenue, according to the updated Manitoba Infrastructure projects map.
In Ritchot, a section of Highway 75 will undergo a complete restoration between Ste. Agathe and Morris.
The provincial infrastructure strategy also includes 97 bridge and structure improvement initiatives.
Among these is the bridge known to Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure as D20. Located on Krahn Road in the RM of Ritchot, the bridge was destroyed by fire approximately five years ago and has yet to be replaced.
This was also the location of a vehicle fatality last November after a marker went missing to indicate that the bridge was out.
According to a government media spokesperson, the missing D20 bridge is on the five-year capital plan for replacement and is currently in the design stage. Another missing bridge at the corner of Wallace Road and Alarie Road is also scheduled for replacement.
Construction of both bridges is anticipated somewhere between 2024 to 2025.
When the design for these bridges is complete, the spokesperson says that more information will be released on the Manitoba Infrastructure projects map.