Starting this fall, the province is making changes to 24 access points to the south Perimeter Highway in an effort to prevent more deadly crashes.
The province said Friday the three-year short-term plan will cost $19 million and will make the highway safer from Portage Avenue to Fermor Avenue.
The plan includes opening Manitoba’s first roundabout on a provincial highway on Highways 2 and 3 near Oak Bluff.
The roundabout is expected to open late next week.
After that’s completed the province will start closing 12 medians and 23 left-turn access points.
“This is a work in progress,” Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler said.
“Rarely do you get to do a project that is hands-on and has meaning. This one really affects safety.”
Some key spots the province is going to monitor will include constructing a service road from Oakland Road to the Wilkes Avenue Interchange and service road improvements to more safely connect Brady Road to the South Perimeter Highway.
The long term plan is to get rid of lights entirely on the South Perimeter.
“That’s going to be the vision piece,” Schuler said. “These are big infrastructure projects.”
Next winter a long term study will be finished for the South Perimeter. The province says it will be looking 50-60 years out and include plans to reconstruct the highway and adding lanes so it’s a six-lane Highway.
The proposed work as part of the safety plan also includes constructing a service road and railway crossings to connect Aimes Road and Melnick Road, as well as constructing left turn lanes at Symington Road.
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