Dauphin urges province to reroute highway

The City of Dauphin is calling for the Manitoba government to reroute the provincial highway running through its downtown in a bid to revitalize the area and make the road safer.

Council members passed a resolution Monday asking the province to move two blocks of highways 5A and 10A from Second Avenue Northwest to First Avenue Northwest.

“There are two blocks that we want to make more pedestrian friendly, and in addition to that, we want to make it a really more attractive area for people to come and spend some time,” Martijn van Luijn, the city’s economic development manager, said on Friday.

A provincial spokesperson told the Sun on Friday that the government supports the change in principle.

The two city blocks of the highway would be rerouted one block south, keeping heavy traffic away from the city’s core and directing drivers to an intersection that is easier to pass through, van Luijn said.

The city plans to widen sidewalks and build bump-outs on Second Avenue Northwest in order to make the road safer for pedestrians.

“We want to create an attractive area, and it is a street where we have seen some new development recently — things like a micro brewery, a butcher shop, a bakery,” he said.

The city plans for the development to be a pilot project for redevelopment of the downtown, which is still in the early technical stages, van Luijn said.

The city has hired a consultant to work on drawings, drainage and road width, among other things.

He said the city wants to revitalize its core, in part, because it is a tourism hub.

“Dauphin has always been a destination for tourists and visitors, and we’re growing in that way,” van Luijn said.

“We want the people to spend more time downtown. We have events already downtown in the summer — we’d like to expand on that,” he said.

A revitalized downtown will also benefit residents of the city.

“We need to have a community where people want to live. It all comes down to creating a place where you’re proud to live, where it’s safe and attractive and it has amenities.”

City manager Sharla Griffiths said it would be great if heavy traffic could be separated from pedestrians.

“One of the reasons that we want to do this project is to make the area, make the block more pedestrian friendly, have it as a gathering space,” Griffiths said in an interview.

The revitalization project would cost more than $1 million for one block of Second Avenue Northwest from Main Street North to First Street Northwest, she said. No cost estimate was available for an additional block, which would consist of First Street Northwest between First Avenue Northwest and Second Avenue Northwest.

The first block is expected to be revitalized this year and the other block in 2027, Griffiths said. Design work for both blocks has been completed, she added.

If the city likes the design and results, it could revitalize other blocks in the downtown as well, she said.

She said most downtowns need help, but that Dauphin is doing a good job and this initiative will take it “one step further.”

“Most of our storefronts are full, and we have some really great attractions in our downtown,” she said.

Van Luijn said rerouting the highway should not be a problem for drivers following road signs or Google Maps. Local heavy traffic already uses the proposed route, he said.

“We want to change the character of the street … Vehicles can still travel through it, and heavy traffic can still travel through it, but we want to avoid that as much as we can,” van Luijn said.

He said the parking lanes and sidewalk along Second Avenue Northwest are under the city’s jurisdiction while the driving lanes are provincial.

“By rerouting the PTH, things like Google Maps will be updated and it will send truck drivers that are not used to our community away from that particular street onto a much more logical route.”

The proposed route is much easier for larger trucks to drive along, he said, adding that turning at the intersection of Second Avenue Northwest and Main Street North is difficult.

“It’s a really no-brainer kind of solution.”

A provincial spokesperson said Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure will work with the city on the process, which includes determining the exact details of the redesignation.

“The department supports this redesignation in principle as most of the freight traffic already follows the proposed redesignation,” the spokesperson said Friday.

“This process can be complex, so timelines and specific details are not available, but MTI will continue to work with the City of Dauphin on a priority basis.”

Van Luijn added that the city isn’t aware of any costs associated with the highway rerouting.

Mayor David Bosiak wasn’t available to comment on Friday.

» alambert@brandonsun.com