Abstract Manager

Provincial Trunk Highway (PTH) 101 is part of the ring road originally constructed in the 1950s and 1960s around the city of Winnipeg, and, together with PTH 100, is known as the Perimeter Highway.  Prior to the construction of the Perimeter Highway, traffic not destined for Winnipeg had to use the City of Winnipeg street system and was often delayed by urban traffic congestion. The Perimeter Highway was constructed to allow through traffic on the Trans Canada Highway to bypass the municipal street system. 

Since the original construction of the Perimeter Highway, growth in the bordering municipalities has expanded and is now adjacent to the North Perimeter in several locations. This growth has resulted in an increase in urban traffic demand on the North Perimeter and a decline in the percentage of traffic that is using the North Perimeter as a bypass around Winnipeg.  To address existing highway safety, operations, and condition issues, WSP and Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure developed a plan that will accommodate the future development of the North Perimeter Highway into a fully access-controlled freeway that can ultimately accommodate six lanes.  Together with the South Perimeter Highway Design Study completed several years ago, the study recommendations will be used to help prioritize future projects on the Perimeter Highway over the next several decades

The study area included approximately 48 km of highway as well as over 20 existing or future interchange, rail overpass and access points.  The study included an analysis of existing conditions, development and evaluation of highway and interchange options, public engagement, and functional design of the recommended plan.  The scope of work involved land use planning, engagement, traffic forecasting and operations, In-Service Road Safety Review, active transportation, roadway geometry, utility relocation requirements, land drainage design, structural design, geotechnical analysis, hydrological / hydraulics, environmental assessment, illumination design, guide signage plans, access management, property requirement plans, rail crossing assessments, roadway condition assessments, noise analysis and mitigation plans, road safety audit, construction staging and maintenance of traffic plans, implementation plan, and cost estimates.

This presentation will provide an overview of the study and the primary considerations in developing a long-term plan for the North Perimeter Highway. The presentation will focus on several key interchange locations along the North Perimeter and provide an overview of the recommended functional designs.