January 13, 2016
Government to Meet All-season Road Commitment
– – –Final Road Works, Bridge to Complete All-season Road Up to Berens River First Nation Will Start Next Month: Minister Robinson
THOMPSON—The Manitoba East Side Road Authority (ESRA) is on track to finish the all-season road from PR 304 to the Berens River First Nation by the winter of 2019-2020, meeting a commitment outlined from the Manitoba government, Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Minister Eric Robinson announced today at the annual gathering of MKO.
“All-season road access is so important for the families who remain isolated in their home communities on the east side of Lake Winnipeg,” said Minister Robinson. “This winter is proving to be very challenging for our winter road system due to above-average temperatures delaying the roads opening by as much as three weeks. This is yet another reason why we need that all-season road.”
The minister also announced two public tenders have just been released for:
- 21.6 kilometres of road work between the Berens River First Nation and the Bloodvein First Nation closing Feb. 4, and
- a bridge over the Bradbury River closing Feb. 1.
These two projects will be the final stages for the all-season road up to the Berens River First Nation.
“This past November marked the one year anniversary for the Bloodvein First Nation gaining all-season road access,” said Ernie Gilroy, CEO, ESRA. “With the final construction ready to take off on this segment of the all-season road, I’m looking forward to a similar celebration in the Berens River First Nation. It’s going to be another busy and productive year for the ESRA in partnership with the First Nation communities we work with.”
Until the all-season road is built, the minister said that strategic investments in the winter road network will continue to be made while also continuing to pursue funding from the federal government for the east side all-season road.
“The new federal government is partnering with us to build an all-season road for the Shoal Lake 40 First Nation and have showed they are ready to step up and support our indigenous families,” said Minister Robinson. “I’m hopeful they will come to the table for this initiative as well.”
The minister also noted that the two new bridges are Acrow Panel bridges and will open for the first time this year over the Hayes and Laidlaw rivers near Oxford House. Construction on both started in March 2015. These two water crossings bring the total number of Acrow Panel bridges on the all-season road network to 11, five of which have been project managed by ESRA. In total, the bridges are worth $10 million and together these projects employed 42 local east side road residents.
Acrow Panel bridges are prefabricated and shipped in pieces to the bridge for on-site installation. Once assembled on one river bank, it is inched across to the other bank one step at a time until fully completed. A short video that features the assembly of Acrow Panel bridges can be viewed at www.eastsideroadauthority.mb.ca.
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The Province of Manitoba is distributing this release on behalf of the government of Manitoba and the East Side Road Authority.