Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister speaks to reporters after meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, not shown, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Friday, Nov. 8, 2019. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang)
WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government is adding $33 million in additional spending towards projects that support damage prevention and climate resiliency.
Premier Brian Pallister made the announcement Wednesday, saying $16 million of the funding will be used to create a “flood-proof” route from Winnipeg to the United States border along Highway 75.
“As part of the damage prevention and climate resiliency measures we announced last November, we have identified several local priority projects that will provide greater protection to Manitobans,” said Pallister.
“Investing in a flood-proof route from Winnipeg to the United States border and six shovel-ready projects are additional steps our government is taking to help rebuild Manitoba’s economy and support our municipalities through the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The investment will see Provincial Road 246 be converted from gravel to asphalt from PTH 23 near Morris to PR 205 near Aubigny, which will allow traffic to be rerouted around sections of Highway 75 that are most prone to closure.
The province says the busy Canada-U.S. corridor has been closed once every four years since 1996, for an average of 24 days.
Pallister also announced an additional $17 million for the following six projects:
• Rural Municipality (RM) of Montcalm – St. Mary’s Road improvement project;
• RM of Rhineland – GNS east pump house expansion;
• St. Pierre-Jolys – berm construction;
• RM of Wallace – Woodworth – Elkhorn lagoon and lift station upgrade;
• RM of Wallace – Woodworth – Kenton supply wells generator backup; and
• Altona – downtown drainage upgrade project.
