Decision on corridor for Trans-Canada twinning near Ontario border expected this fall, province says

The Manitoba government is taking more time to evaluate and select a preferred corridor for the twinning of a 16-kilometre section of the Trans-Canada Highway near the Ontario boundary.

An earlier timeline indicated Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure expected to choose an alignment by the fall of 2025. A provincial spokesperson told the Free Press on Monday a decision is expected this winter, but a different spokesperson said Wednesday a decision is expected this fall.

“The department continues to evaluate corridor alternatives and will undertake additional geotechnical, environmental and design work as part of the (functional design study) to support the selection of a preferred corridor,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

The study, which will include Crown-Indigenous and public consultation, is expected to be completed in late 2027, with a detailed design to follow.

MTI will then be in a better position to set construction timelines and provide an estimated project cost, the spokesperson said.

“Construction will proceed following completion of the (study) and selection of a preferred corridor,” the spokesperson said.

A tender is currently open for the study.

The previous Tory government confirmed in August 2022 it was proceeding with the project to improve safety and travel times on a route that is vital for trade and used by many cottagers and travellers during summer.

The NDP’s 2026-27 budget included $22.5 million for initial design and environmental and heritage assessment work.

A 700-metre stretch of the Trans-Canada was previously twinned at the provincial boundary to align with Ontario’s new four-lane highway.

The 16-kilometre section extends from there to just west of Falcon Lake. It is the last remaining undivided section of the Trans-Canada, or Highway 1, in Manitoba.

The project advanced to the functional design phase after a conceptual design study wrapped up in May. The conceptual design phase, which included input from Indigenous rights holders, presented three potential corridors in a rugged area dotted with lakes and streams.

One would expand the existing highway from two to four lanes. The other options propose a new section of highway north of Falcon Lake and Barren Lake, connecting to the existing road at both ends.

Of the latter options, one would shift all traffic to the new corridor, while the other would turn the new and existing sections into one-way routes.

Falcon Lake resident Manny Damata said each alternative carries different impacts for the wider area and locals.

“There’s no ideal corridor. We’re going to either disrupt or affect the community either way,” he said. “It’s going to affect different people differently. Unfortunately, it’s going to be a tough decision. Hopefully, they make the best one and it affects the least amount of people.”

Falcon Lake risks losing business and tourism traffic if the province diverts traffic onto a new section of highway to the north, he said.

The studies are taking into account everything from environmental and cultural impacts to land acquisition and utility relocations. Wildlife fencing and corridors are being looked at.

Whatever corridor is chosen, Damata, who works in auto towing and recovery, is hoping the project reduces the number of collisions.

“I think it’s going to make things safer,” he said. “It’s not going to make things perfect, but definitely getting the traffic away from each other is going to keep motorists safer.”

The area, in Whiteshell Provincial Park, had an annual average daily traffic count of 5,540 vehicles in 2024.

Manitoba signed a memorandum of understanding last year with the Niiwin Wendaanimok (Four Winds) Partnership, which comprises four First Nations, including Shoal Lake 40, on the Manitoba-Ontario boundary, in Treaty 3 territory.

The twinning project was expected to take many years and many millions of dollars to complete when announced. Ontario proceeded with plans to twin the Trans-Canada from the provincial boundary to the Kenora bypass after more than a decade of political discussion, delays and planning.

Ontario’s first phase, involving six kilometres of highway, was completed in 2024. The contract was worth almost $32 million. Construction has not yet started on the second of three phases.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca