Temporary traffic changes are coming to Portage la Prairie’s Island Park area as crews prepare for hydro tower construction and road work related to Manitoba Hydro’s transmission infrastructure.
Matt Phillips, manager of engineering for the City of Portage la Prairie, says a phased approach will begin with adjustments on International Drive at the corner of Brandon Avenue.
“There are going to be some temporary road closures on the Island on International Drive at the corner of Brandon Avenue for the construction of a hydro tower,” Phillips says.
He notes that during this first phase, International Drive will temporarily shift to two-way traffic, with parking prohibited on both sides of the road to accommodate the project.
“This closure is going to see International Drive turn into two-way traffic, and there’ll be no parking allowed on either side during that time,” he adds.
Work begins May 26 with second closure following in June
Phillips says the first phase is expected to begin May 26 and should last roughly one week. Following that, the second phase of the project will begin with a separate road closure.
“Phase two of the project will see a closure on Brandon Avenue between Massey Crescent and Nana Lane,” Phillips says.
He continues, explaining that this stage is currently scheduled to begin June 2 and will remain in place until the work is complete.
“At that time, access to Nana Lane and Irvin Place will be via International Drive,” he says.
Hydro work follows earlier storm-related outages
The hydro tower installation is part of ongoing efforts to restore and strengthen local infrastructure following previous storm damage.
“Yes, it’s part of that transmission line,” Phillips notes.
He confirms the work relates to service issues dating back to the Thanksgiving ice storm, which left portions of the hydro system out of commission.