Most of the money for infrastructure in Manitoba’s 2015 budget goes towards already announced provincial projects, but Finance Minister Greg Dewar allocated part of the province's five-year $5.5 billion roads plan to Winnipeg’s top two traffic priorities.
"We’re committing to contribute to our share of funding for the proposed Waverley and Marion streets underpasses this year in the city of Winnipeg," said Finance Minister Greg Dewar on Thursday.
The move creates good momentum, according to River Heights city councilor John Orlikow. "We're two-thirds of the way there now. We just have one more piece of that puzzle to put in there now, and that's the Building Canada Fund," he said.
Orlikow said the road level crossing is a safety concern, with more than 30,000 vehicles driving down Waverley daily and nearly 40 trains crossing it.
But the underpasses have been a contentious issue, especially at Marion and Archibald streets, where many businesses will have to be expropriated.
Orlikow says the Waverley underpass alone could cost more than $150 million and the one at Marion Street will cost somewhere around $250 million.
But as for an estimate on how much the province will contribute, Dewar said he didn’t know.
The province did not announce funding for two other major city infrastructure projects, the widening of Kenaston Boulevard, and an extension at Chief Peguis Trail, but the finance minister said that doesn’t necessarily mean provincial money is off the table for those roads.
