A 28-kilometre stretch of Manitoba highway is set to get a much-needed upgrade.
The province said Wednesday it will spend $61 million to rebuild the southbound lanes of Highway 75 from Ste. Agathe to Morris — a section of highway that was paved in the late ’80s and early ’90s and was in dire need of repair.
The work will include surface reconstruction with concrete pavement, as well as shoulder, drainage and intersection improvements, with an expected completion in fall 2023.
“Road safety is a priority for the MTA and investments such as the one announced today will improve safety for everyone travelling this route,” said Aaron Dolyniuk, executive director of the Manitoba Trucking Association (MTA).
“This investment in Manitoba’s main north-south trade route will allow our industry members to remain internationally competitive by providing a reliable, efficient goods-transportation network.”
RM of Morris reeve Ralph Groening said the upgrade is good for the province and the economy, but cautioned the road could still be affected by flooding in the years to come.
“At one time there was some discussion about raising that road and improving its abilities to remain out of the flood, but there’s nothing about that in (Wednesday’s) announcement,” Groening said.
“In this region and in the province of Manitoba… (we’re) very concerned about the lack of traffic during flood events, and we have flood events every five to 10 years, so this will continue to be a problem.”