The $212 million CentrePort expressway in Winnipeg officially opened Friday, aiming to help move truck traffic through the city’s inland port.
Stephen Harper, Premier Greg Selinger and CentrePort CEO Diane Gray cut a ribbon to open the four-lane highway to traffic northwest of Winnipeg.
“This fast road to fortune will allow truckers to reach the desired industry standard of five minutes to 55 miles per hour - no traffic jam coming out of the gate,” said Harper.
CentrePort is a massive industrial neighbourhood with access to move goods by air, rail and road.
Construction of the nine-kilometre roadway called CentrePort Way began in 2010.
It connects Winnipeg’s inland port to the Perimeter Highway in northwest Winnipeg.
"It makes it a lot easier - a multi-lane highway," said trucker Larry Jory.
To compliment this project, the province plans to build a bypass around Headingley so trucks can flow in east and west.
“To be able to jump off at the White Horse right into CentrePort quickly and efficiently and it will also allow trucks that are westbound from CentrePort to do the same thing,” said Diane Gray.
While drivers already see the benefits of CentrePort Way, it’s hard to say whether it’s a success yet.
There are 13,000 acres still available for future development in the CentrePort area.
“There's significant room for thousands of companies to locate here. Ultimately, how much of that is going to be built out in five years - I'll say is somewhat hard to predict," said Gray.
So far, 30 businesses have relocated to the area since 2009.
- with a report from Jeff Keele
