The province continues to modernize the Perimeter Highway and the capital region transportation system by developing plans for a new St. Norbert Bypass. This announcement was made by Infrastructure and Transportation Minster Steve Ashton.
“As our economy continues to grow, we will increase our investments in transportation infrastructure to ensure commercial and other traffic flows safely and smoothly through the capital region,” said Minister Ashton. “We’re already planning to build a series of modern interchanges on the Perimeter Highway and now we’ve also started planning a major bypass from the Perimeter to PTH 75 around the St. Norbert neighbourhood.”
These projects will be carefully co-ordinated so the timing of design and construction will allow new interchanges, such as at Waverley Street and Kenaston Boulevard, and a new bypass to smoothly tie together, said Minister Ashton. This project will support Centerport Canada and all of the other trucking routes that move from the Perimeter Highway to PTH 75 and the U.S. border, the minister added.
The province is now working on plans to construct new interchanges on the Perimeter Highway, the minister said. While this is underway, the province will consult with the public and prepare functional designs of the St. Norbert bypass. This will be followed by land acquisition to prepare for the construction stage.
“The bypass project will be staged to connect with the new interchange at Waverley/Kenaston, similar to the staging for Centreport Canada Way and the planned Headingley bypass connection,” said Minister Ashton. “The planning underway now will position Winnipeg and Manitoba to grow the economy and ensure the capital regions has a high-quality transportation system well into the future.”
“This project will offer long-haul trucks, motorists and tourists the option of a high-speed link from the south Perimeter to PTH 75,” said Terry Shaw, executive director, Manitoba Trucking Association. “For the trucking industry, these links and others such as the planned Headingley bypass and the other improvements to streamline the Perimeter Highway help improve road safety and they help the environment by permitting vehicles to operate at peak efficiency, rather than idling at lights.”
The Manitoba government recently committed to a three-year extension of the five-year core infrastructure plan, adding an extra $4.5 billion to the original $5.5 billion, for a total of $10 billion.
