Roger Vermette, Reeve of Montcalm, Cliff Graydon, MLA for Emerson and Vic Toews, MP for Provencher, celebrate with workers the re-opening of the Letellier Bridge.
The Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, and Regional Minister for Manitoba, along with Manitoba Local Government Minister Ron Lemieux, celebrated the success of the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund Program in Manitoba, a key part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan. The event officially marked the completion of the new Red River Bridge on PR 201 near Letellier.
“The Letellier Bridge is vital to the economic prosperity of this region and is a crucial link for the community, particularly during times of flood,” said Minister Toews. “The new Letellier Bridge is now better adapted to meet the needs of local businesses, farmers and residents. The Government of Canada is proud to have invested in this important project.”
“This new bridge provides families in this area with improved traffic flow, and increased safety when travelling on it each day. It’s also a vital lifeline for agricultural producers and those transporting goods providing economic wealth. Investments we make to our road infrastructure are investments that benefit us all,” said Minister Lemieux. “By working together we were able to get this bridge built to 1 in 100 year flood protection.”
The Government of Canada and Province of Manitoba each provided up to $17.5 million for the new bridge. Federal funding was provided under the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund.
Construction on the new bridge east of Letellier began in November 2009, to replace the old bridge on PR 201 that was at the end of its service life. The new bridge is considerably higher than the one being replaced, and as a result will ensure protection from debris and ice during flooding. This new bridge also provides residents of southern Manitoba a new, major crossing over the Red River. Substantial work was also undertaken on the river banks to stabilize them and prevent movement that could impact the new bridge.
Through the launch of the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, the Governments of Canada and Manitoba each committed close to $140 million for 111 projects in communities across the Province.
The Infrastructure Stimulus Fund has provided funding to over 4,100 infrastructure projects across the country.
