Reconstruction on what the Government of Manitoba called a vital link over the Souris River is getting a major financial boost. The province announced today they were committing $19.6 million to reconstruction of the Souris River Bridge on Provincial Trunk Highway (PTH) 3 at Melita.
“Our government knows that infrastructure is critical to our economy,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor. “Manitobans depend on safe roads and bridges to grow their businesses, support their families and ensure they have access to important health services. I am pleased to see this project move forward to keep the communities of southwest Manitoba safe and to invest in the future of rural Manitoba.”
According to a release from the provincial government, new three-span steel I-girder bridge is being constructed with improved hydraulic capacity for flood resiliency and will be wider than the existing bridge, with two 3.7-metre travel lanes and 2.5-metre shoulders. The construction contract has been awarded to MD Steele Construction Limited.
In their release, the provincial government said construction was already underway and the bridge should be ready for traffic by next fall. In the meantime, traffic is being detoured during bridge construction onto a shoo-fly detour adjacent to the existing highway and will remain open throughout construction with a single lane controlled by signal lights at each end of the bridge.
