Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

$300-million roads vital to inland port underway

WINNIPEG-- Provincial, civic and federal government leaders met at the Richardson International Airport this morning to officially kick off the start of almost $300 million in road construction vital to the country’s first inland port.

Premier Greg Selinger, Mayor Sam Katz and Public Safety Minister Vic Toews met at the airport’s observation lounge to praise the start of the construction project.

"CentrePort Canada is definitely a key component of Canada’s economic prosperity as we emerge from the recession," Toews said.

The bulk of the funds — $212 million — are directed to construction of CentrePort Canada Way, a four-lane expressway in northwest Winnipeg that will run through the 20,000-acre CentrePort Canada and link it to the airport, the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 75.

In addition to the new expressway, another $73.9 million will be spent upgrading: the Trans-Canada Highway east of Winnipeg, from Deacon’s Corner to PTH 12; Highway 75 between Ste. Agathe and Morris; and PTH 12, east of Winnipeg with a bridge replacement and intersection improvements between the Red River Floodway to PR 207.

Selinger said the road projects will link CentrePort with the port of Churchill and Hudson’s Bay, continental U.S. and Mexico and Canada’s east and west coasts

"CentrePort ...has the ability to do what nothing else can accomplish for our city (for) economic impact and creating phenomenal jobs," Katz said. "This is the beginning of something very wonderful and very special."

Diane Gray, CEO of CentrePort said the 20,000 acre inland port is more than a giant industrial park, adding it has the potential to provide manufacturers and distributors with links to suppliers and markets around the world.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca

History

Updated on Friday, June 18, 2010 at 1:32 PM CDT:
Corrects typo.

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