Highway 110 heading west?

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This article was published 04/11/2015 (3605 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The persistent problem of semi trucks hitting Kemnay’s low bridge on Highway 1A may be a thing of the past if a proposed westerly extension of Highway 110 goes ahead.

Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation presented a preferred corridor design to Brandon City Council this week that would see Highway 110 continue west from Highway 10 south up to the Trans-Canada Highway, bypassing Kemnay.

“There is no funding or construction planned in the immediate future for this road,” MIT technical services engineer Denise Jubenvill stressed to city council. “The goal was really to identify a route that enables us to protect the highway development and also to use as a guide for future planning and decision-making.”

The project is still in the early stages, with the next step being a functional design study. MIT regional director Herb Mahood said the study will include connection details, turning movements, traffic information, etc.

“We want development to proceed but not interfere with future highway construction,” Mahood said, adding the studies and plans can then be adopted as a bylaw in the local development plan, “so then developers know where they can and cannot go.”

Leading up to this stage, MIT and the City of Brandon conducted a joint study called the Brandon and Area Road Network Development plan, which indicated planned urban growth will be directed south and west of the city.

“The need for an extension of (Highway) 110 was identified as being something that was required,” Jubenvill said.

MIT hired Stantec engineering firm to undertake the conceptual plan, and asked them to consider a number of factors, such as good cost benefit, minimal impact on residents and farming operations, minimize the number of rail crossings and any effect on wetland areas.

“We are really hoping to resolve the underpass issue that we have at Kemnay,” Jubenvill added.

The proposed plan shows the corridor bypassing Kemnay to the west and includes an overpass on the main Canadian Pacific rail line. The existing intersection of Highway 1A and the Trans-Canada Highway would be closed, and a new intersection would be built to the west to tie in the new alignment.

Year after year, at least a few semi trucks crash into the low bridge on Highway 1A. MIT can’t raise the tracks or lower the road because of high ground water in the area, so the only option they have is to continue to warn trucks. Despite flashing lights and numerous warning signs, it continues to be a problem.

“Some drivers don’t read signs, they’re following their GPS,” Mahood said. “People find it mind-boggling, but that’s just what’s going on. We’ve done a lot of pre-warning and it’s definitely helped. We’ve reduced the number of collisions overall, but it’s still far too many in my opinion.”

Public open houses on the proposed plan have been held, in addition to consultations with residents, and other organizations that may be impacted by this change. Mahood says MIT is working very closely with the city, as well as Brandon and Area Planning District.

“It’s important that people are aware that we do need these long-term planning studies in order to help development proceed,” Mahood said. “We’re pro-development, we just don’t want the development to interfere with future highway alignments, so we’d like to make it a win-win scenario where we know where we’re going and they know where they’re going.”

There is no timeline yet, as it will depend on the priorities of the government of the day and fiscal realities, according to Mahood, who added that the plan is to focus on the Kemnay end first.

“It could be well into the future,” Mahood said. “But by the same token, the government may say, ‘Look, let’s fix the Kemnay problem once and for all, and let’s move it forward.’ If they decide to do that, I want to have the plans ready to go.”

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