Hwy 75 Improvements Celebrated

Upgrades and improvements to portions of Highway 75 were celebrated Tuesday morning during an official opening in Morris that included various local, provincial and federal dignitaries. Work on PTH 75 through the Town of Morris began in 2011 with the reconstruction of the southbound lanes, followed by the northbound lanes this year and included intersection improvements, new lighting and sidewalks as well as enhanced drainage, which in itself cost $1.3 million. In addition to spending nearly $12 million on the work in Morris, an additional $1.4 million was spent improving the southbound lanes on the Manitoba side of the Emerson international border crossing. A dedicated, southbound commercial truck lane was established and traffic signals and new lighting were added in an effort to improve traffic flows into the United States. Premier Greg Selinger it's nice to come back to Morris and see the improvements that have been made.

    "This eleven and a half million really makes the Town look a lot better, it's a big upgrade and I think it builds confidence back in the community after the blows they've taken during the big flood we've had. There's another investment we made at the border which will help improve the ability of commercial traffic to go through the border. Highway 75 is a major trading artery for Manitoba, there's no two ways about it, it's the busiest point into the United States west of Ontario, it's the fifth busiest in Canada and these kinds of investments are part of the long-term commitment we have as part of a ten year, four billion dollar infrastructure program in Manitoba to upgrade our infrastructure to continue to grow our economy at a time when there is great uncertainty around the world. So families, businesses and all the regional communities will benefit by this investment and I'm very pleased to do it with the government of Canada as part of our infrastructure commitment. It's good to be here today with good news and I want to congratulate the mayors and the folks in the area for their patience and their co-operation to make it come to fruition this summer and in a very timely fashion."

    Provencher MP and Public Safety Minister Vic Toews says Tuesday was truly a great day for the Town of Morris and for Manitoba, especially for the communities along the highway. As a regional minister for Manitoba, Toews thanks and congratulations everyone who worked hard to make the projects happen and is pleased with the progress of the work. He points out for years Highway 75 served as a hub for Morris and it's reconstruction has provided the community with good paying jobs, strengthening the local economy.

    "Driving into any town is the perfect way to get the big picture quite literally and the picture coming into Morris today is certainly a lot better than it was a few years ago, that means that it's now the kind of highway needed to serve a growing town like Morris. More importantly it's the kind of highway that can now support economic growth in Manitoba for years to come and that my friends is where the real big picture comes in. This project is a great example of the investments we've made with our provincial partners to create jobs and growth in the time of global economic instability."

    The cost of both projects was shared between the province and federal government with the Town of Morris pitching in for some of the work that took place within the community. Toews adds Ottawa's investment in the two projects makes the road safer and more convenient for local commuters and reduces traffic congestion for farmers and commercial truckers, noting this is important as Highway 75 serves as Manitoba's gateway to the United States.

    "It connects us to the Emerson border crossing, a major hub which supported over 14 billion dollars in Canada/U.S. trade traffic last year alone. So improvements to Highway 75 will strengthen this trade corridor and increase the flow of goods and services between Canada and the United States. Investing in infrastructure is a key part of our government's plan to create jobs, generate economic growth and ensure prosperity across Canada."

"I might point out that Canada's economy has created more than 820,000 new jobs since July of 2009. That's the strongest record in G7 countires.  In fact, in the last month the increase was about 50,000 jobs, and that's tremendous.  We will still continue to feel the effects of the shockwaves in the global economy, but according to recent forecasts by the IMF, Canada will have the strongest economic growth among G7 countries in the next two years."

    Toews explains this is why we need to stay focused, promote our advantage as a country and meet the infrastructure needs of our communities. Simply put, he says the Building Canada Fund is building a safer, stronger and better country.

    Emerson Mayor Wayne Arseny agrees the completion of these projects is great for the two communities and those in between, adding Highway 75 is a mid-continent trade corridor and the route between Winnipeg and the border is very significant not only to residents but to those who travel through.

    "I think the challenge that I give to the Department of Highways is as fast as you want to get these travellers from Winnipeg to that border, communities like Emerson and Morris and communities in between want that access so our local businesses can also service that traffic as well. It's one thing to get them through quickly but we want to be able to fix that tire, fill those gas tanks and be able to eat ice cream and everything along the way. Emerson is a border destination point, it's the first point in and the last point out."

    Meanwhile, Arseny adds when highways are being designed and built we are always looking at moving traffic, but notes with his involvement in the Trans Canada Trail something new came to light and now Arseny wants to take the Trail international and have it flow across into the United States.

"I've indicated to Vic that when they built the super ports of Emerson and Pembina, they accomadated cars and trucks, but they forgot to put the sidewalk and that pathway in which people can walk across and the non-motorized and non-licensed vehicles like quads and bicycyles can cross.  So we're looking at those logistical challenges in which to connect the trail internationally.  And we're looking at Emerson and Morris dealing with that active transportation, dealing not only with trucks and cars but active transportation and the benefits to our communities."

    As an aside, Arseny notes the new traffic lights near the border crossing are the first of their kind for the community of Emerson.

    For Morris Mayor Gavin van der Linde the words "pride", "accomplishment" and "teamwork" come to mind when talking about the improved Highway 75.

    "Almost twelve million dollars has gone into the upgrade of the Highway within the Town, approximately 1.3 million dollars of that was the land drainage system upgrade which was the responsibility of the town and the province and federal government did partner with us on that amount as well. The result is a new piece of highway that we as Manitobans can be proud of and being located in the heart of the Red River Valley and in the centre of the Canadian link for the mid-continental trade corridor, is a key element in the CentrePort initiative."

    Van der Linde adds the Morris portion of Highway 75 is the centre of Manitoba's efforts to improve the entire highway between Winnipeg and the U.S. border.

    "Six years ago I remember that the highway degraded to a point where it was becoming dangerous to drive at speed limit down the highway as the bumps were becoming more and more exaggerated. Being at the heart of the North American continent I believe that it is our responsibility to strive for excellence and today we're very pleased that the province had recognized the problem and has been working hard at a considerable expense to bring the Highway back up to North American standards."

    He notes the community also looks forward to Highway 75 being brought up to acceptable levels of flood protection, that being 2009 levels in an effort to keep the route open except during the most extreme circumstances. Van der Linde adds they are also looking forward to future team work with the provincial and federal governments to see the goals of CentrePort achieved.

    The highway rehabilitation work is part of a major, multi-year initiative to upgrade PTH 75 from Ste. Agathe to Letellier at a total cost of $90.2 million. The Government of Canada is contributing up to $42.5 million with the Province of Manitoba providing the  balance of the the funding. The federal investment comes from the Gateways and Border Crossings Fund, a $2.1 billion fund that supports projects that improve the flow of goods and trade, and support economic growth.