MORRIS, MAN. -- Some communities in southern Manitoba are bracing for rising water levels on the Red River.

It’s already spilling its banks and peak levels could hit some towns by late this week.

According to the latest flood report from the province, the Red River could rise above 2006 spring levels between Emerson, Man. and St. Jean Baptiste, Man. and below 2006 spring levels in areas north of St. Jean Baptiste.

Crews have started construction on an earthen ramp on Highway 75, a major route for truckers, north of Morris, Man.

Resident Erhard Keck has seen the road shut down during previous Red River floods, resulting in detours, but the Manitoba government is aiming to keep the highway open as long as possible.

“I feel sorry for the truckers,” said Keck. “They have to go over (the ramp) but it doesn’t affect us.”

While crews are trying to stop it from happening the province said the road, which closed for 18 days during the 2006 flood, is still at risk of closing due to flooding this year. Whether that happens will be determined over the next few days and hinges on how high the Red River rises in Morris.

The town itself is protected by a ring dike, giving Keck comfort his community is safe.

“With the nice dike we have here, we are not worried at all,” he said. “At least I’m not.”

Farther south in the border town of Emerson, Man., the area’s Reeve, Dave Carlson, monitors the fast-flowing river as it continues to rise in his community.

The crest is expected to arrive in Emerson as early as Saturday and Carlson said the Municipality of Emerson-Franklin is prepared for peak levels, even amid the global pandemic.

“As people see the waters coming up it does become where it’s definitely of interest, and in some cases I guess it’s a distraction from all that’s going on right now,” he said.

Emerson’s also protected by a ring dike, which has already been closed in two places to prevent the Red River from flooding homes in the community, but Carlson said that doesn’t mean the flood isn’t affecting people.

“It causes a lot of inconvenience for our farmers,” he said. “They’ll be late getting on the fields this year, we’ll have a lot of debris cleanup like we did last year.”