St. Francois Xavier bridge named

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/01/2019 (2689 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The reconstructed bridge on the Trans-Canada Highway that spans the Assiniboine River in the RM of St. Francois Xavier now has a name.

The provincial recently announced that the bridge is being named after former Manitoba premier Sterling Lyon.

“Former premier Sterling Lyon served our province admirably and this tribute is befitting of the work he did to build the Manitoba we have today,” Manitoba premier Brian Pallister said on Dec. 21.

Lyon was Manitoba’s premier from 1977 to 1981, and served as an MLA from 1958 to 1969 and 1976 to 1986. He held numerous cabinet positions under former premier Duff Roblin including serving a total of nine years as Manitoba’s attorney general. In 1986, Lyon was appointed to the Manitoba Court of Appeal, serving until his retirement in 2002.

Lyon’s eldest daughter Nancy (Lyon) Matthews said the family often travelled over the bridge in St. Francois Xavier while going to and from her father’s hometown of Portage la Prairie.

The bridge consists of two structures, one eastbound and one westbound. The westbound lanes were replaced last year and the new bridge is 11-feet wider and longer than the previous bridge, which was constructed in 1965. The new bridge also has a concrete curb with a steel railing.

Manitoba Infrastructure reports “the eastbound structure is in overall good/fair condition at this time. It is inspected annually and will continue to be monitored to ensure it is safe. Manitoba Infrastructure will also continue to complete repairs on an as-needed basis. It will be considered for replacement as it reaches the end of its service life.”
 
— Staff