As Portage la Prairie advances into the first year of its three-year paving plan, additional projects are also moving ahead, including upgrades at Simplot Park and shared infrastructure work in the city’s northeast.
Director of operations Jocelyn Lequier-Jobin says that alongside regular road renewals and the expanded reconstruction of Crescent Road West and Lorne Avenue, the city is adding new features to Simplot Park.
"We're going to have a walkway that circles the park around the skate park and the splash pad and over to the new art project, and then it will loop back around," says Lequier-Jobin.
The goal is to offer a scenic walking route for exercise and enjoyment, while also enhancing amenities. This year’s improvements will include tree planting and the installation of a washroom.
"So that park will be almost all developed," adds Lequier-Jobin.
The only remaining piece, she notes, is a potential expansion of the skate park, which is still under review by the parks committee and dependent on funding.
Industrial road upgrades also planned
The paving contract also covers improvements to the Northeast Industrial Road, which connects the highway to the city’s industrial park. Though the road lies within the Rural Municipality’s jurisdiction, the city shares responsibility because it services local industrial traffic.
"That's a shared project with the RM. It's on RM land, but because it services the city industrial park, we share the costs on that," continues Lequier-Jobin.
The road runs just east of the museum and loops north to the edge of the city, marking another key component in the city’s coordinated infrastructure investment.