How much longer will Highway 75 be under construction?

It could be a few weeks yet before a portion of the southbound lanes of Highway 75, south of Ste. Agathe, reopen to traffic.

In May of last year, Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI) began work on a 24.5-kilometre long concrete reconstruction project of the southbound lanes between Ste. Agathe and Morris. By the end of the last construction season, there was still a six-kilometre long section of the project, just north of Morris, that needed to be completed. A provincial spokesperson indicated the job would be finished in the summer of 2024.

In April of this year, we were told that in addition to that six-kilometre long section, there were also components of work required to finalize construction of the entire stretch of the southbound lanes from Ste. Agathe to Morris. As a result, MTI closed the southbound lanes in late April. All traffic is now being detoured to the northbound lanes. The province did not indicate at the time how long this closure would be in effect.

This week, the province provided an update on the work. According to a provincial spokesperson, two separate projects are being completed by Nelson River Construction. From Provincial Road (PR) 305 to PR 205, the contractor is currently completing final preparations for the road surface and has indicated that this will take up to six weeks to be completed. Both southbound lanes on this segment remain closed. MTI expects this segment will be open by the end of June, with some single-lane closures to accommodate the remaining work.

The second project runs from PR 205 to Morris. A provincial spokesperson says the contractor is currently placing a base for roadway construction. MTI expects the contractor to start concrete paving by the end of June. The contractor currently anticipates completing all work by mid-September, at which point all southbound lanes will be open between Ste. Agathe and Morris. 

According to a provincial spokesperson, weather conditions have not greatly impacted the overall progress of these projects.