Premier Greg Selinger (at the podium) is joined by Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Steve Ashton (L), Chris Lorenc of the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association (R) and Local Government Minister Ron Lemieux (far right) in announcing record investments in provincial highways and bridges and supporting municipalities across the province with new revenue to improve streets and roads; part of the Manitoba Building and Renewal plan announced in Budget 2013.

 

April 17, 2013

BUDGET 2013: BUILDING MANITOBA ROADS, HIGHWAYS, BRIDGES

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Record Investments in Highways, New Programs to Support Municipal Street Improvements: Premier

The new Manitoba Building and Renewal Plan announced in Budget 2013 will make record investments in provincial highways and bridges, and will provide the City of Winnipeg and municipalities across the province with new revenue to improve municipal streets and roads, Premier Greg Selinger announced today.
“Manitoba’s network of roads and highways is not only a vital link between families and communities, it is relied on by business to move goods and keep our economy growing,” said Selinger.  “These new investments will mean better roads and good jobs, and they will help stimulate our economy, moving Manitoba forward through the ongoing global economic uncertainty.”
Municipal Infrastructure
The premier, joined by Local Government Minister Ron Lemieux and Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Steve Ashton, announced new money to improve municipal streets:

• $21 million more (doubling the provincial investment to $42 million total) over the next three years, targeted at repairing potholes and improving residential streets in the City of Winnipeg; and
• $21 million over the next three years for a new Municipal Roads Improvement Fund, to which municipalities outside Winnipeg can apply for up to 50 per cent of the cost of new incremental municipal road projects.

Over the next 10 years, the province will provide more than $3.5 billion in funding for municipal infrastructure including roads and bridges, through the Building Manitoba Fund.
Provincial Infrastructure 
The Manitoba Building and Renewal Plan also includes a record $622 million to invest in provincial bridges and highways including those damaged by flooding in 2011, the premier said.
“Strong, predictable funding for our roads and highways is critical to building a strong economy,” said Chris Lorenc, president, Manitoba Heavy Construction Association.  “These investments mean good jobs for thousands of Manitobans and they mean better local roads for families.” 

As part of these record investments in provincial roads, the province has set aside resources for two new cost-shared programs:

• $25 million this year in a new Urban Highway Fund, which will enable municipalities to prioritize investments in provincial highways that affect their municipalities; and
• $25 million this year in a new Commercial Infrastructure Fund, which will assist resource industries and municipalities with cost-shared improvements such as increased loading for heavy truck traffic.

The premier committed to providing industry with updates to Manitoba’s multi-year highway project planning every two years and to work closely with industry to keep improving the way projects are tendered to increase productivity and lower costs.
The new Manitoba Building and Renewal Plan will help build the province’s critical infrastructure priorities including flood protection, schools and health centres as well as roads and highways, the premier said, adding it will invest a record $1.8 billion this year to help secure families and businesses against an uncertain global economic outlook and the third significant flood in five years.