October 20, 2011

Manitoba to invite bids for emergency channel construction

The Manitoba government announced Wednesday it plans to issue an open tender “very soon” for a construction project that would extend the reach of an emergency channel from Lake St. Martin towards Lake Winnipeg, designed to alleviate flooding.

Construction is currently underway on the Lake St. Martin emergency channel, which is more than 75 per cent complete and remains on track to be finished in November, the province announced.

“Plans are now underway, and an open tender will be issued very soon, for construction of an extended reach of the channel from Buffalo Creek to Lake Winnipeg,” the government stated in a media bulletin. “This will help ease spring breakup and ice jam-related flooding along the Dauphin River by diverting water more directly into Lake Winnipeg.”

The emergency channel was recommended by AECOM and KGS Group in an analysis prepared last July for the Manitoba department of infrastructure and transportation.

The province commissioned the companies to “urgently explore options to bring the levels of Lake St. Martin and Lake Manitoba down to the desirable range on an emergency basis as soon as possible.”

The firms recommended immediate work on construction of an additional emergency channel from Lake St. Martin towards Lake Winnipeg to address the hydraulic flow restrictions out of Lake St. Martin and to accommodate additional Lake Manitoba outflows over the winter.

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At the time, it was estimated the channel would be about five miles long, 300 feet wide and up to 25 feet deep.

There are currently about 130 workers and 95 items of heavy equipment involve in the project, which have to be moved to the site on barges or boats. The project involves the excavation of more than two million cubic metres of earth from a bog-like area, which is largely covered with water.

DCN DIGITAL MEDIA

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