Town, provincial government consider Highway 75 flood-proofing

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This article was published 17/05/2009 (6220 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Officials from the town of Morris will be meeting with provincial leaders for discussions on upgrading Highway 75.

Ruth Murray, deputy mayor of Morris, said the Doer government has to develop a plan to ensure Highway 75 is never closed again because of flooding.

Highway 75 is the major transportation link between Winnipeg and the United States, she said, adding the province cannot afford to see it closed again.

“With the province’s plans for CentrePort and trade with the United States, it’s absolutely vital that we keep Highway 75 open,” Murray said.

Highway 75 reopened Wednesday between Winnipeg and the U.S. border; some sections had been underwater since April 7. In some places, the water on the road was almost a metre deep.

Murray said the highway closure had a severe impact on the local economy but there is a greater impact to the rest of the province.

“The highway is important to the trucking industry and the rest of the provincial economy,” Murray said. “We have to do something so that Highway 75 is never closed again.”

Murray said town leaders have a meeting coming up with Infrastructure Minister Ron Lemieux and highways staff, adding it’s important that they leave the meeting knowing that the province will deal with this issue.

Lemieux could not be reached for comment, but a senior provincial spokesman said upgrading Highway 75 remains a priority.

Ron Weatherburn, executive director of construction and maintenance, said the province understands the vital link the highway plays in the Manitoba economy, adding the next step is determining what should be done.

“We are investigating what should be done but right now we don’t know exactly what,” Weatherburn said.

Weatherburn said Ottawa and the province will be spending $80 million over the next five to upgrade Highway 75.

Murray said there are options to protecting the highway. Raising the level of the roadway could be expensive but it would only be needed in certain locations, mostly just north and south of Morris, she said.

Another option could be to extend the dike that protects the town of Morris, she said, adding that would protect the low sections of Highway 75.

Murray said the cost of the project has to be considered in context to the cost to the provincial economy when the highway is closed.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca