Interchange at Hwy. 59 and Perimeter to open Saturday, says province

It’s been three long years so far, but the province says the construction at Hwy. 59 and the north Perimeter will soon be complete.

The new interchange will open in stages, said the province Thursday.

Construction began in the fall of 2015 on the $250-million project.

About 70,000 vehicles a day pass through the intersection, which the province says is the highest-traffic rural intersection in Manitoba.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

“In the summertime, this is the route to cottage country and on the weekend we get higher volumes than any place else and any other intersection,” Infrastructure Manitoba project manager Don McRitchie said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "In the summertime, this is the route to cottage country and on the weekend we get higher volumes than any place else and any other intersection," Infrastructure Manitoba project manager Don McRitchie said.

McRitchie said it’s the largest project the department has undertaken.

The initial stage is set to open on Saturday at 3 a.m. and will allow traffic coming through the north Perimeter and Hwy. 59 into the interchange.

Eleven bridges make up the interchange, and eight of the 11 are expected to open Saturday.

The remaining bridges are scheduled to open by Oct. 31. Lagimodiere Boulevard heading in both directions near the interchange will now be six lanes.

Six hundred workers took part in the project, totaling one million hours of work.

WATCH: Winnipeg looks to improve construction communication

1:27 Winnipeg looks to improve construction communication