Manitoba Infrastructure has several construction projects planned this year on Highway #75 near Morris. Larry Halayko, executive director of Construction and Maintenance, says some of the work will happen just south of the town.

"We are planning to do some re-alignment of Highway #75. We need to re-construct some of the grading on the curves just south of town there to help separate where the dike will come into town and where the dike will be crossing Highway #75. As anybody would have seen, driving along the highway there, there has been a lot of widening going on, to widen it out so we can raise up the lanes. That portion of work won't affect traffic because it will be on a new alignment, just to the east of the existing highway. "

Halayko adds they plan to complete the earth-moving work there this year, then let the road bed settle properly before it is paved in 2020.

He says they will also install new box culverts this year as part of the Kronsgart Drain between Morris and St. Jean. Traffic will be diverted to alternate lanes as that work is being done.

Meanwhile, Halayko says they will completely rebuild the northbound lanes of Highway #75 from Morris to Aubigny this year.

"We'll have two-way traffic in the southbound lanes and will be reconstructing the northbound lanes, smashing up the old concrete there, putting down a new base and new concrete and new paved shoulders."

Finally, Halayko says they still plan to build a permanent, paved, floodproof detour there on the east side of the Red River. It would take traffic through Aubigny, then south along Provincial Road 246 to Highway #23, just east of Morris.

"Yes, that is still part of our plan. We are still working through some details on there. That work is not planned to start in the next couple of years, but we are working on plans for that."

Manitoba Infrastructure had hoped to have floodproofing of Highway #75 completely finished by 2020 and Halayko says they will be close to making that timeline.