Provincial government to make largest single-year investment to build and upgrade highways

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Published on Wednesday, January 29, 2014

myWestman.ca

The Manitoba government will make the largest-ever single-year investment to build and upgrade well over 1,000 kilometres of provincial highways across Manitoba, with the addition of 50 new projects to the 2014 construction season.

The additional projects represent more than $100 million worth of work in all regions of the province and build on the interim 2014 tendering schedule released last November.

"We recognize, in the decades since the original construction of Manitoba's roads and bridges, investment levels have not kept up with the needs of our aging road network as the population and economy grows," said Premier Selinger in a release. "When we invest in restoring and expanding this infrastructure, we ensure its safety, long-term sustainability and Manitoba's economic growth."

The premier noted in the release that tenders for this year will exceed the record levels of infrastructure investments made in Manitoba during the short-term economic stimulus programs with the federal government over the past few years and the increased levels of investment are long term.

The total tendered work for 2014-15 is expected to create the equivalent of one year of work for more than 5,700 people.

Some of the projects include 22 kilometres of paving and grade widening on Highway 1 from west of PR 254 to King Street near Virden, as well as nine kilometres of paving on Highway 1A from west of Highway 1 to 50th Street in Brandon.

The complete tendering schedule for the 2014-15 construction is available here.

With files from Manitoba news release