The 2010 construction season will see another record investment of $366 million on major highway and bridge projects, Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Steve Ashton announced.
Ashton said the funding will form a portion of the 2010 investment in highways and bridges and is being announced this fall to ensure the industry has plenty of time to prepare for another significant construction season.
Manitoba began the Highway Renewal Plan in 2007, ahead of the economic downturn, and that plan has made possible a provincial stimulus plan and allowed a successful response to the federal stimulus initiatives, the minister said. The $1.3 billion invested in the first three years of the plan is on track to meet the government’s $4-billion, 10-year commitment and has provided 10,725 person years of direct employment and 9,126 person years of indirect employment, Ashton said.
“Our commitment to strengthen and rebuild infrastructure in our province over our 10-year plan has enabled significant stimulus work to be undertaken across the province. The federal government’s own stimulus initiative has strengthened that,” said the minister added.
To put the investment into perspective, he said, $366 million is about four times what was spent to build highways in the 1990s.
Some major projects planned for next year include:
Near Winnipeg:
• commencement of construction on CentrePort Way and reconstructing the westbound lanes of the Trans-Canada Highway east of Winnipeg, both major stimulus projects with the federal government; and
• repaving portions of the north Perimeter Highway and continuing reconstruction of PTH 75 south between Morris and Ste. Agathe.
Southwest Manitoba:
• completion of the 18th Street bridges in Brandon and more work on the Brandon eastern access;
• paving and shoulder work on the Trans-Canada Highway between Brandon and Carberry; and
• paving PTH 2 near Rathwell.
Western Manitoba:
• complete the paving of 10 kilometres of PTH 68 east of Ste. Rose; and
• continued reconstruction of PTH 83 between Swan River and Roblin.
Northern Manitoba:
• pavement work on more than 40 km of PTH 6, the key link to Manitoba’s north; and
• continued work on more than 70 km of PR 373 and 374, serving the communities of Norway House and Cross Lake.
Over 1,000 km of roadway will see construction again next year with the cost-shared support of the federal government and over $150 million is planned to be invested in 28 bridge projects across the province.
“Our Highway Renewal Plan will continue to stimulate the economy, create jobs and help to provide long-term economic stability for the future,” Ashton said.
