Manitoba | Highways

[bomberjet]

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

The Southbound 59 starting bit from from 317 got a great smooth top up in pst month, feels great driving on it! and it's just a asphalt top but man it was done quick!

It did. Was much nicer than the rest. I think it's like low grade asphalt or some kind of high grade chip seal stuff. But I was coming back from 3 days camping at Grand Beach in 35c heat and 90% humidity. So was a bit out of it haha

[Carboy15]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

It did. Was much nicer than the rest. I think it's like low grade asphalt or some kind of high grade chip seal stuff. But I was coming back from 3 days camping at Grand Beach in 35c heat and 90% humidity. So was a bit out of it haha

https://www.merx.com/mbgov/manitobainfra...OVINCE-WIDE-VARIOUS-LOCATIONS/0000316807

It appears they used Microsurfacing on Hwy 59. Micro is technically like Chip Seal but a different mix. It is a pretty quick and easy process as it only needs a Microsurfacing Machine. No packers are needed. It is just a temporary fix, but it is fairly durable and helps extend the pavement life for around 5-10 years.

P.S. It was also done recently on TCH 1 between One Mile East of PTH 5, all the way to PTH 351 in the Eastbound Lanes.

[Carboy15]

https://stroadz.glide.page/dl/d0a5f4/s/c0a8e8/r/GGlfTGql3nP4ftOE3EA6

Yes. A Mainline Hwy 59/52 Expressway is a perfect solution. Going on SB 59 would be seamless regardless if you go on 52 to Steinbach or 59 to St Pierre.

[cammy85]

Originally Posted by VANRIDERFAN

I've done them all;

The 17 through Cochrane;
The TCH via the Soo
US Highway 2 through the UP and Duluth; and
The full interstate through Chicago and Detroit.

The only one that I feared for my life was from Chicago to Detroit. The truck traffic was NUTS!!!

That was our plan a long time ago going from Winnipeg to St. Catharine's. But instead went down to Fort Frances and through the US there. Staying on US 2 and I-75 and later I-69 which lead to Sarnia, then onward through the southern Ontario freeway network. On the way back, up to Sudbury and then 17 the rest of the way to manitoba.

[harls]

Originally Posted by cammy85

That was our plan a long time ago going from Winnipeg to St. Catharine's. But instead went down to Fort Frances and through the US there. Staying on US 2 and I-75 and later I-69 which lead to Sarnia, then onward through the southern Ontario freeway network. On the way back, up to Sudbury and then 17 the rest of the way to manitoba.

In the summer of 2005 I did Montreal to SW MB via SSM (TCH 17) and US 2 (like Vanriderfan) back in the before times . It is (was) my preferred route.

Last summer I just took 17 all the way to Manitoba. And took it all the way back. Montreal River area in the fog is pretty amazing.

[wags_in_the_peg]

59 north now has been done "Microsurfacing". if this buys them another 5-10 yrs as described above, let's do more of this! Was all done in only a few days

[bryan_ca]

From today's Freep...

The Manitoba government is taking more time (editorial comment: oh yay!) to evaluate and select a preferred corridor for the twinning of a 16-kilometre section of the Trans-Canada Highway near the Ontario boundary.

An earlier timeline indicated Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure expected to choose an alignment by the fall of 2025. A provincial spokesperson told the Free Press on Monday a decision is expected this winter, but a different spokesperson said Wednesday a decision is expected this fall.

“The department continues to evaluate corridor alternatives and will undertake additional geotechnical, environmental and design work as part of the (functional design study) to support the selection of a preferred corridor,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

The study, which will include Crown-Indigenous and public consultation, is expected to be completed in late 2027, with a detailed design to follow.

MTI will then be in a better position to set construction timelines and provide an estimated project cost, the spokesperson said.

“Construction will proceed following completion of the (study) and selection of a preferred corridor,” the spokesperson said.

A tender is currently open for the study.

The previous Tory government confirmed in August 2022 it was proceeding with the project to improve safety and travel times on a route that is vital for trade and used by many cottagers and travellers during summer.

The NDP’s 2026-27 budget included $22.5 million for initial design and environmental and heritage assessment work.

A 700-metre stretch of the Trans-Canada was previously twinned at the provincial boundary to align with Ontario’s new four-lane highway.

The 16-kilometre section extends from there to just west of Falcon Lake. It is the last remaining undivided section of the Trans-Canada, or Highway 1, in Manitoba.

The project advanced to the functional design phase after a conceptual design study wrapped up in May. The conceptual design phase, which included input from Indigenous rights holders, presented three potential corridors in a rugged area dotted with lakes and streams.

One would expand the existing highway from two to four lanes. The other options propose a new section of highway north of Falcon Lake and Barren Lake, connecting to the existing road at both ends.

Of the latter options, one would shift all traffic to the new corridor, while the other would turn the new and existing sections into one-way routes.

Falcon Lake resident Manny Damata said each alternative carries different impacts for the wider area and locals.

“There’s no ideal corridor. We’re going to either disrupt or affect the community either way,” he said. “It’s going to affect different people differently. Unfortunately, it’s going to be a tough decision. Hopefully, they make the best one and it affects the least amount of people.”

Falcon Lake risks losing business and tourism traffic if the province diverts traffic onto a new section of highway to the north, he said.

The studies are taking into account everything from environmental and cultural impacts to land acquisition and utility relocations. Wildlife fencing and corridors are being looked at.

Whatever corridor is chosen, Damata, who works in auto towing and recovery, is hoping the project reduces the number of collisions.

“I think it’s going to make things safer,” he said. “It’s not going to make things perfect, but definitely getting the traffic away from each other is going to keep motorists safer.”

The area, in Whiteshell Provincial Park, had an annual average daily traffic count of 5,540 vehicles in 2024.

Manitoba signed a memorandum of understanding last year with the Niiwin Wendaanimok (Four Winds) Partnership, which comprises four First Nations, including Shoal Lake 40, on the Manitoba-Ontario boundary, in Treaty 3 territory.

The twinning project was expected to take many years and many millions of dollars to complete when announced. Ontario proceeded with plans to twin the Trans-Canada from the provincial boundary to the Kenora bypass after more than a decade of political discussion, delays and planning.

Ontario’s first phase, involving six kilometres of highway, was completed in 2024. The contract was worth almost $32 million. Construction has not yet started on the second of three phases.

[bomberjet]

That's in line with the dates in the RFP. Best case scenario we could hope for at this point. Design and then move straight into construction.

[craner]

Sure be nice to get this done by 2030.

[jim_bred]

Originally Posted by craner

Sure be nice to get this done by 2030.

I’d imagine a job like this would be at least 2 seasons if not more? The bridge work alone takes time.

[bomberjet]

Not a chance. It's something like 2034 for full completion.

[bomberjet]

2.8. Project Schedule

The Project's target timelines for key milestones, which are subject to change at the sole discretion of Manitoba, are as follows.

2026-27

1. Procurements exclusively by MTI
a. Consultation Facilitator (CF)

2. Procurement with the support of the Engineering Service Provider
a. Fairness Monitor (FM)
b. Construction Manager (CM) (complete by February 2027 or sooner if feasible)
c. Independent Cost Estimator (ICE)

3. Update conceptual design including existing conditions and recommendation for preferred corridor (by October 31, 2026)

4. Functional Design
a. Engagement Round 1 (refer to Section 6.12.2)
b. Alternatives development and first CM and safety review in early 2027 shortly after the CM is procured
c. Alternatives analysis and evaluation, development of preferred alternatives, CM reviews, and road safety audits completed prior to summer 2027

Late 2027:

1. Complete Draft Functional Design Report and circulate with relevant materials and the Environmental Act Proposal (EAP) for external regulatory approvals and commence land acquisition process.

2. The completion of Crown-Indigenous Consultation What We Heard meetings are anticipated in 2027, with the support of the Consultation Facilitator (separately procured by Manitoba) and the ESP, as described in Section 6.12.

3. Start of Detailed Design

2028-29: Start of construction of Early Work Packages (after required approvals)

2029: Complete detailed design and tender package for Main Work Package(s)

2030: Start of Main Construction

2033: Traffic Availability Target Date for Main Work Package(s)

2034: End of Main Construction

2038: Latest end of Construction of Late Works Packages

2039: End of all Warranty Periods

[BorealLynx]

Originally Posted by bryan_ca

Falcon Lake risks losing business and tourism traffic if the province diverts traffic onto a new section of highway to the north, he said.

I hear this contention often when a main artery is rerouted around a town. It reminds me of the same conversation about a possible bypass for Hwy 75 around Morris, way back when 75 was being twinned. The smart move would have been to go around the town and possibly put interchanges on either end (and maybe at 23), but they listened to the doomsayers (and I'm sure cost was also a factor) and kept it running right through the town, at 50 kph.

As a frequent highway traveler, I suspect that this is an argument based on perception rather than on fact. Most people who travel Hwy 75 are going from Winnipeg and other points in MB to the USA. Morris is only an hour from Winnipeg, so why would anyone heading to the USA need to stop there? Not for gas, just an hour out of the city. For breakfast or lunch? Very unlikely given how close it is to the city. They want to make the argument that forcing travelers to trickle past every business in the town at 50 kph is somehow going to translate to a big boom in business, but there's no substance behind that. Those who are intentionally going to Morris will find their way there, and those who aren't will probably not stop there.

It's the same with Falcon Lake. It's a destination, not a stopover. If you're going to Falcon Lake, you'll get there on the prescribed route. If not, then you're probably going to Kenora or further East, in which case you're likely not veering off into this small town anyway. You can't even see the services from the highway, and in any case Falcon Lake only has a tiny store and a tiny gas station.

As final evidence, take the Kenora bypass. It completely circumvents the city, but that turned out to be a very good thing. The traffic that had no intention of ever stopping in the city is now way out there, out of the way. And those who want to make the stop in Kenora on their journey can easily do so. It's a far cry better than having a ton of semi-trailer traffic flowing right through downtown trying to navigate that 90 degree turn on the main street, just in case they may wish to stop (and park where exactly?) and grab an ice cream or coffee. That's just not how it works.

TL;DR - route the twinned TCH based on factors that make sense, not on feelings.

[bomberjet]

I have never stopped in Morris or Falcon when travelling the highway. I have stopped in both places though as destinations many time.

[jim_bred]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

2.8. Project Schedule

The Project's target timelines for key milestones, which are subject to change at the sole discretion of Manitoba, are as follows.

2026-27

1. Procurements exclusively by MTI
a. Consultation Facilitator (CF)

2. Procurement with the support of the Engineering Service Provider
a. Fairness Monitor (FM)
b. Construction Manager (CM) (complete by February 2027 or sooner if feasible)
c. Independent Cost Estimator (ICE)

3. Update conceptual design including existing conditions and recommendation for preferred corridor (by October 31, 2026)

4. Functional Design
a. Engagement Round 1 (refer to Section 6.12.2)
b. Alternatives development and first CM and safety review in early 2027 shortly after the CM is procured
c. Alternatives analysis and evaluation, development of preferred alternatives, CM reviews, and road safety audits completed prior to summer 2027

Late 2027:

1. Complete Draft Functional Design Report and circulate with relevant materials and the Environmental Act Proposal (EAP) for external regulatory approvals and commence land acquisition process.

2. The completion of Crown-Indigenous Consultation What We Heard meetings are anticipated in 2027, with the support of the Consultation Facilitator (separately procured by Manitoba) and the ESP, as described in Section 6.12.

3. Start of Detailed Design

2028-29: Start of construction of Early Work Packages (after required approvals)

2029: Complete detailed design and tender package for Main Work Package(s)

2030: Start of Main Construction

2033: Traffic Availability Target Date for Main Work Package(s)

2034: End of Main Construction

2038: Latest end of Construction of Late Works Packages

2039: End of all Warranty Periods

Well worth it, hope it starts on time.

Thanks for the info.

[craner]

Yes - thanks for that schedule.
I guess my hopes for completion were only about a decade off.

[Dengler Avenue]

^ One may say that a race is underway to determine whether M.T.I. finishes twinning TCH around Falcon Lake or whether MTO finishes twinning towards Kenora first (and how much ahead the winner is).

[Biff]

Manitoba will win.

The Ontario side is like 30+ km with a fair bit of Indigenous negotiation required. It has gone totally silent lately.

The MB side is 15 km and seemingly going fairly quickly.