Province Announces More Than $80 Million in Upgrades for Brandon-area Highways, Bridges

March 13, 2014

Road Work Will Mean Safer, Smoother Ride for Brandon Families, Improved Trade: Premier Selinger

BRANDON—The Manitoba government will invest more than $80 million over the next five years to upgrade Victoria Avenue between 18th Street and First Street, the First Street Bridge, the Daly Avenue Overpass, Brandon’s Airport Access Road and PR 270 north of Brandon to PR 25, Premier Greg Selinger announced here today.

“Good highways and bridges are important to local families and businesses, tourists and commercial drivers,” the premier said.  “We know the best way to encourage growth in our communities is to invest in roads and bridges.  We made significant upgrades over the last five years and these new upgrades are part of our continuing commitment to improving infrastructure in Manitoba.”

The construction will cost more than $80 million over the next five years and is expected to create more than 900 jobs, the premier said.  Planned work includes:

• Victoria Avenue between 18th Street and First Street – grading and repaving work;
• PTH 1A from the west junction of the Trans-Canada Highway for 8.6 kilometres to 50th Street – repaving work;
• Veteran’s Way – microsurfacing for 3.9 km including grade widening;
• Trans-Canada Highway – microsurfacing eastbound lanes from the east junction of PTH 10 for five km east and also microsurfacing 6.2 km from PR 270 to the west junction of PTH 10;
• First Street Bridge over the Assiniboine River – significant rehabilitation including deck replacement and girder reinforcement allowing the bridge to remain open to traffic on one lane in each direction at all times;
• the Daly Overpass – major rehabilitation and expansion to add a fourth lane;
• Brandon Airport Access Road – one km paving; and
• PR 270 north of Brandon (Trans-Canada Highway) to PR 25 – 15 km of paving.

The premier noted work announced today is in addition to a $67-million PTH 10 investment that includes new passing lanes, curve realignments and asphalt resurfacing that will make PTH 10 safer and ease congestion from Riding Mountain National Park to the U.S. border.

The premier noted today’s announcement is part of the province’s new $5.5‑billion, five-year core infrastructure plan developed in consultation with municipalities, business, labour leaders and industry associations across Manitoba.

Highlights from an independent analysis conducted by the Conference Board of Canada project that Manitoba’s $5.5-billion investment in core infrastructure will:

• boost Manitoba’s economy by $6.3 billion,
• boost exports by $5.4 billion, and
• boost retail sales by $1.4 billion.

The board also estimates these investments will create 58,900 jobs and that each $1 invested in the five-year plan will benefit Manitoba’s economy by $1.16.

The five-year plan can be found at www.gov.mb.ca/mit/pdf/five-yr-plan.pdf.

Drivers are reminded to slow down and use caution approaching and in construction zones, for their own safety and the safety of workers.  The latest information on lane closures and road conditions is available anytime at 511 (toll-free), atwww.mb511.ca or by following the Twitter account at www.twitter.com/MBGovRoads.

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NT4