Local municipalities get provincial help for road works

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Published on Friday, August 4, 2017

By Kate Jackman-Atkinson
The Neepawa Banner

From small to large, area municipalities will be undertaking road improvement projects this summer thanks to recently announced provincial funding. On July 25, Agassiz MLA and Indigenous and Municipal Relations minister Eileen Clarke announced $12 million in funding under the Municipal Road Improvement Program.  Under this program, the province will partner with municipalities and provide half of the project’s funding.

The Town of Neepawa will be receiving $50,000 for their Kellington Street renewal project.  Located at the north end of Town, Neepawa’s mayor Adrian de Groot said about the project,  “We did the water and sewer last year and we wanted it to settle.” He added that they had budgeted to cover the whole paving cost themselves, “It being approved as part of the Roads Program is great. That’s extra moneys that we can put into maintaining our roads. You know, some of the potholes and things like that and we’re still working on trying to get a better plan together, so we know where to put those extra dollars in.” De Groot said work is expected to begin shortly.
The Municipality of North Cypress-Langford received $100,000 for two projects.  The first will be to build up Road 81W, also known as Gregg Road, and the second will rehabilitate Road 90W, known as Montgomery Road. CAO Sandra Jones said that the Gregg Rd. project is now under way and the Montgomery Rd. project will be starting shortly.  Jones explained that both are much travelled rural roads, “[The work] needed to be done,” she said. Jones added that they hope to have the work done before harvest and will work to minimize the inconvenience to road users.
The Municipality of Westlake-Gladstone received $86,623 for seven projects: Fourth St. from Morris Ave. West to York St.,  Fifth St patch from Morris Ave. to swimming pool, sidewalk paving in the LUD, paving, Main St. upgrade, Pembroke Rd. (65W) and Road 67W P. Friesen. Reeve David Single said that the Fourth St. project will see the road built up and graded, while the Fifth St project will patch some holes which had been dug to access underground services. The Pembroke project is located north of Gladstone and will see one mile of shoulder pulled and regraded.  The Road 67 project will see a section of the ditches cleared and the road built up. In Plumas, they will be continuing with their street paving project, which Single said began 20 years ago. “Slowly, we’re getting all the streets paved,” he added, noting that the low traffic volumes and slow speeds should give the pavement a long lifespan.
Single said they are planning to have the projects completed this summer, though it will depend on weather and traffic. He explained that these projects were chosen because they were top priority areas. “The [municipal] office and [public works] do a good job of determining which projects are eligible,” said Single, adding, “We would not be able to do nearly as much work as we do without [provincial funding].”
In the Town of Carberry, they are receiving $60,000 to help repave Fourth Ave. “This is a much needed repair,” said CAO Sandra Jones, adding, “The road has been patched and it’s one of [the town’s] major thoroughfares.”  Jones said they are hoping to get the project done this month.
The Municipality of Glenella-Lansdowne will be receiving $60,000 for two road rehabilitation projects.  The first project will be Road 105N and the second, 74W.
The RM of Rosedale received $60,000 to upgrade roads and install culverts.
– With notes from Eoin Devereux