No. H113/06
For release September 22, 2006

GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP
OPENS WINNIPEG UNDERPASS

WINNIPEG —The Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, on behalf of the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, the Honourable Kerri Irvin-Ross, Manitoba Minister of Healthy Living, on behalf of Premier Gary Doer, together with Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz today officially opened the Kenaston Boulevard underpass in Winnipeg.

The cost of the construction, estimated at $48.1 million, will be shared by the Government of Canada and the Province of Manitoba, each contributing $13 million, and the remainder will be provided by the city of Winnipeg.

“Canada’s New Government is getting things done by investing in roads and underpasses for the City of Winnipeg,” said Minister Toews. “The benefits of this Kenaston underpass include less traffic, reduced pollution caused by vehicle emissions, and improved safety.”

“Long hold-ups for motorists as trains passed across Kenaston Boulevard have been both a safety and convenience issue for decades,” said Minister Irvin-Ross. “Thanks to cooperation from all three levels of government they are now only an unpleasant memory.”

“Winnipeggers have made it very clear that addressing our infrastructure is a top priority,” said Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz. “The trains and the traffic congestion that have long frustrated Winnipeggers have been addressed, and I’m encouraged by the cooperation of all levels of government to deliver on this positive solution today.”

The construction of a grade separated underpass and improvements to associated roadways are expected to help reduce vehicle emissions caused by delays at the rail crossing. The project also included the construction of Sterling Lyon Parkway and Lorimar Boulevard, and the upgrade of associated intersections.

The funding for this project came from the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund, through which provincial, territorial and municipal governments, as well as the private sector, work to respond to strategic infrastructure needs throughout the country.

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