New Infrastructure Investment Strategy Will Support Manitoban Economy and Transportation Needs: Naylor
The Multi-year Infrastructure Investment Strategy, which outlines planned capital investments for highway, airport, water-related and general infrastructure over the next five years, is now available, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor announced today.
“Building the Manitoba of tomorrow starts with this new visionary plan,” said Naylor. “The Infrastructure Investment Strategy outlines our government’s priorities in connecting Manitobans across the province for years to come. Many of these projects will improve road safety, ensuring families can travel safely while also creating new opportunities to expand our economy and create thriving businesses and jobs.”
The strategy provides a comprehensive overview of the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure’s project priorities through to 2029 to improve transparency and provide advance notice to stakeholders and rightsholders, while still providing flexibility to accommodate emerging issues, the minister noted.
Some multi-year project highlights include:
- twinning of Trans-Canada Highway from five kilometres (km) west of Provincial Road (PR) 301 to the Ontario boundary to improve public safety and support trade through this major corridor;
- interchange construction on the south Perimeter Highway at McGillivray Boulevard and St. Anne’s Road as part of the Perimeter Freeway Initiative;
- projects on PTH 75 including a structure renewal at Morris River 0.6 km north of PTH 23 and surface reconstruction from 6.6 km north of PTH 14 to 3.4 km south of PTH 23;
- $600 million, conditional on a memorandum of understanding, to enhance flood protection to communities in the Lake Manitoba-Lake St. Martin area and to strengthen Manitoba’s existing network of flood mitigation infrastructure;
- progress toward construction of a new airport at Wasagamack Airport;
- continued work toward construction of a bridge at Sea Falls;
- intersection improvements on Trans-Canada Highway at Provincial Trunk Highway (PTH) 5; and
- surface reconstruction on PTH 6 from 0.6 km south of PR 239 to Fairford River.
“We’re pleased to see the Manitoban government outline a strong commitment to improve the infrastructure that keeps Manitobans moving, as we know the importance of our roads, bridges and flood protection systems to creating a strong economy,” said Chris Lorenc, president and CEO, Manitoba Heavy Construction Association. “A five-year plan ensures we’re able to meet the demands required by these important projects and we look forward to advancing Manitoba as a transportation hub not just in Canada, but across the continent.”
Projects outlined within this document are organized to reflect projects under four strategic investment categories: infrastructure renewal, economic development, climate resiliency and connectivity and innovation. These investments will strengthen and complement projects under ongoing initiatives such as the Trade and Commerce Grid Initiative, Perimeter Freeway Initiative, and Enhancing National Trade Corridors Strategy, noted the minister.
These investments also build on previously announced projects such $30 million to build a northern corridor to the Port of Churchill to export resources to reflect the Manitoba government’s goal of making Manitoba an inter-continental trade gateway, a commitment of $15 million over several years for the capital redevelopment of the Thompson airport and continued support for the development of the CentrePort Canada Rail Park.
To read the Multi-year Infrastructure Investment Strategy, visit: www.gov.mb.ca/mti/myhis/pdf/2024_multi-year_infrastructure_investment_strategy.pdf.