Manitoba planning new interchange for South Perimeter

The Manitoba government will builda new interchange on the South Perimeter Highway.

The province will start construction on the interchange at Highway 100 and St. Mary's Road in 2021, Manitoba Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler announced on Monday.

The intersection is presently controlled by traffic lights.

The decision to build an interchange advances the government's push toturn the South Perimeterinto a six-lane freeway to improve safety.

"This is the beginning of a new South Perimeter Highway, and wewould like to eventually see the entire Perimeter becoming a limited access" highway, Schuler said at the announcement.

The province is covering the tabthrough a $500-million fund the government recentlyannounced to ramp up construction in a pandemic-battered economy.

Of that pool of money, $65 million will be spent on major highway projects, including the newinterchange.

"We wanted to identify this as one of the projects where we're going to start moving Manitobans back into the workforce," Schuler said.

Thecrossingwill improve traffic flow on a highway used by an average of 30,000vehicles a day, Schuler said. The area also has a high number of vehicle collisions, he said.

The government is developing a design plan for the highway, which will supportbuilding interchanges and overpasses to keep traffic moving, he said. The report is expected to be completed this summer.

"Eventually all mud roads and all access points, except those by bridges or signalled intersections, will be removed off the Perimeter," Schuler said.

In time,roadways that once crossed the South Perimeter will be diverted ontointerchanges and overpasses, while Highway 100 will be moved aboverailways.