Twinning of final stretch of Highway 1 to Manitoba/Ontario border one step closer

The twinning of the remaining stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway between Falcon Lake and the Manitoba/Ontario border is one step closer to reality.

Manitoba premier Heather Stefanson announced the next steps toward that goal at a news conference Friday morning from Whiteshell Provincial Park.

Stefanson — who was joined by Manitoba infrastructure minister Doyle Piwniuk, Manitoba Trucking Association president Jason Dubois, and Ontario northern development minister Greg Rickford — said work is already underway on the 700 metres stretch of highway nearest the border.

Twinning the full 16 km stretch from Falcon Lake to the provincial boundary, however, will take some time yet, beginning with a two-year conceptual design study that will examine — among other elements — some new or modified interchanges and grade separations, access requirements, and route options.

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“As a major corridor of the national highway system, the Trans-Canada Highway is essential for Manitoba’s communities and the province’s trade and tourism industries,” said Piwniuk.

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There have been ongoing calls from families who’ve lost loved ones in crashes to double-lane the remaining section of highway around Falcon Lake to the Ontario border, and Stefanson said creating a safer roadway is a priority.

“Safety is also of utmost concern to us,” Stefanson said.

“Our priority as a government has always been to ensure when upgrading our provincial highway network, we do so with the safety of all travelers in mind.”

2:18 Concerns looming over twinning of Trans-Canada for Falcon Lake, Man. business owner, resident