Red River Floodway Expansion
Winnipeg, MB
PRODUCTS USED:
- Miscellaneous Concrete Accessories
- Form Liners
- Forming Hardware and Bridge Deck Overhangs
- Silt Fence
- Hydro Mulch
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: PCL Construction, Winnipeg, MB and MD Steele, Winnipeg, MB
PROJECT NOTES: The following information on the Red River Floodway Expansion was from the following website: www.floodwayauthourity.mb.ca, as well as an article by Doreen Pendgracs, in the September 2005 issue of the UPWORD, the magazine of the Winnipeg Construction Association. The original Red River Floodway was built following the 1950 Manitoba flood - one of the largest in the province’s history. The floodway was completed in 1968 at a total cost of $63 million. It has saved Manitoba more than $8 billion in flood damage. The floodway has been operated 19 times since then - only once in the summer.
In 1997, the floodway was stretched to its limit. In the aftermath, Manitobans rightfully demanded increased levels of flood protection. Subsequently, the Canadian and Manitoba
governments have invested $130 million in flood protection measures - including $110 million for flood protection measures in rural Manitoba.
After the “flood of the century,” the International Joint Commission was charged with reviewing the situation and recommending options that would increase flood protection for the
residents of the Red River Basin. A variety of local options were considered and eventually the expansion of the current floodway was deemed to most cost effective way to protect residents from the largest recorded flood in Manitoba’s history - the flood of 1826 that was 40% larger than the 1997 disaster.
The floodway expansion project is intended to divert more water around Winnipeg during major floods by increasing the capacity of the floodway channel from 1,700 cubic metres (60,000
cubic feet) of water per second to 4,000 cubic metres (140,000 cubic feet) per second.
As part of the project,the floodway channel will be widened rather than deepened to protect ground water. The estimated amount of earth to be excavated for the project is approximately
35 million cubic yards; in addition, 12 bridge crossings that span the floodway will be completely replaced or modified with upgraded structures.
As part of the Five Year Construction Tender Plan, the MFA (Manitoba Floodway Authority) has announce that the year one schedule will consist of tenders for the following projects:
• Channel Excavation – Floodway Inlet to Highway 59 South Bridge
• Pre-purchase of highway bridge girders
• Purchase of temporarily detour Railway Bridge
• TH59 South Bridge
• Trans-Canada Highway Bridge
• Inlet Control Structure improvements
• CNR Spraque Railway Bridge
• Seine River Siphon Improvement
Brock White is proud to have been selected as a supplier of various products to this historic project.