The Manitoba government is releasing the list of upcoming core infrastructure projects a month early to give the construction industry a head start as they gear up to build and repair highways, roads and bridges across the province in 2015. This statement was made by Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Steve Ashton.
“We are ramping up provincial investments in core infrastructure while also ensuring the construction industry gets the time they need to prepare for the increased work,” Minister Ashton said. “This year, construction firms have an extra month to do the planning, hire and train the workers, and buy the equipment they need to build and upgrade highways, roads and bridges.”
The highway, road and bridge tender package released today is part of the Manitoba government’s five-year, $5.5-billion core infrastructure plan, which is supported with the one-cent-on-the-dollar PST increase, Minister Ashton said. The Conference Board of Canada has projected this plan will create 58,900 jobs over five years, boost the economy by $6.3 billion and boost exports by $5.4 billion, the minister noted.
“The tender schedule is important information for the design, heavy construction and related supply industries. We welcome this early release because it enables earlier purchase of products and supplies, and investment in human and capital resources, each of which support competitive bidding and accelerated construction,” said Chris Lorenc, president, Manitoba Heavy Construction Association (MHCA).
Highway tenders have traditionally been released near the end of November, Minister Ashton said. The importance of releasing tenders earlier was a key recommendation from construction industry leaders who said they would need more time to submit their bids and plan for the significant increase in road construction made possible by the Manitoba government’s $5.5-billion investment, the minister noted.
Last month, another key recommendation was implemented with the formation of a new joint Infrastructure Innovations Council, Minister Ashton said. Created in partnership with the MHCA, the council will help accelerate road construction, build capacity in the industry and meet core infrastructure investment targets, he noted, adding the council will also provide feedback to government along with advice on how to more efficiently manage projects.
“The Infrastructure Innovations Council is intended to help apply all aspects of innovation to core infrastructure design, construction, maintenance, rehabilitation and related best practices. It will harness the opportunity of Manitoba’s five-year core infrastructure program and help establish Manitoba as the first Canadian Core Infrastructure Centre of Excellence and Innovation,” said Lorenc.
The tendering schedule for the 2015-16 construction season is available at www.gov.mb.ca/mit/contracts. The core infrastructure report and analysis by the Conference Board of Canada are available at www.steadygrowth.ca.
