Province wants plan to transform south Perimeter Highway

The Manitoba government is slowly moving ahead with plans to improve the south Perimeter Highway.

The province is putting out a tender to hire a consultant who would conduct a study on “rebuilding” the highway.

Infrastructure Minister Blaine Pedersen said the idea is to convert it into a modern freeway “similar to American Interstate standards”.

“It was built 50 years ago. The city has expanded a lot, trade has expanded a lot. We need to know where we need to be for the next 50 years.”

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The study will look at everything from locations for potential interchanges or grade separations to new bridges to a potential bypass around St. Norbert. That’s an idea floated before the last election by the previous NDP government.

Pedersen wouldn’t give a cost of the study but says it will take two years to complete. The government would be able to pick and choose which recommendations to act on.