Perimeter Highway (Winnipeg)

Provincial Trunk Highways (PTH) 100 and 101 (locally known as the Perimeter Highway) form a beltway around Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Perimeter is approximately 90 km (56 mi) long. It is an alternate route around Winnipeg for through traffic, as there are no freeways through the city.

History

The highway was originally built in 1955, following the cancellation of a freeway system to accommodate traffic around Winnipeg to avoid the city centre rush hour traffic. The northeast section was left unbuilt at the time, as PTH 59 had received significant upgrades, making the need for a northeast section less pressing. PTH 59 continued to serve as the de facto northeast leg of the Perimeter until the mid-1990s, when the remaining segments of the highway were completed. The highway now encircles Winnipeg.

Most of the Perimeter is a four-lane divided expressway, with interchanges and at-grade intersections. The only section that remain two-lane is in the vicinity of the PTH 59N interchange.

The southern segment of the Perimeter Highway is part of the Trans-Canada Highway, and is designated as Highway 100. The northern segment is a provincial highway designated as PTH 101.

The Perimeter Highway bridge across the Red River and roadway at Pembina Highway was constructed in 1958. The job was tendered to Peter Leitch Construction Ltd. at a cost of $188,670. In December 1957, Dominion Bridge was awarded the contract ($80,157) to supply the structural steel for the overpass.^[1]

Exit list

Inner city beltway, the second half of the Perimeter plan

This roadway is what was to be part of a two ring road system. That being, the outer Perimeter Highway, and an inner ring. The inner ring was initially tabled in the 1960s and was slow to progress.

The inner ring, also sometimes referred to as the inner city beltway, was to be (Route 17) the Chief Peguis Trail to the north, heading west to Route 96 (the Moray Bridge), circling to Route 165 (Bishop Grandin Blvd), and from there to a point near Northern Blower on Route 37 (Regent). Several years ago a group working with a councellor, worked to stop the loop from going into the Transcona area, and had the roadway's land designated a natural prairie grass park. From this point on Regent, the road was supposed to loop north back to Route 17 (Chief Peguis). The current plan has had to move the eastern portion to Plessis Road. Plessis Road is not as suited to the required connection and space for intersections, but is the only remaining viable option.

While construction of the east west Bishop Grandin portion was done years ago, the northern portions have remained unlinked, with only the short portion between Route 52 (Main Street) and Route 42 (Henderson Hwy). This has provided an effective link over the Red River, but the short span of road leaves much of the north part of the city with difficult navigation choices on a east west basis, often pushing major cross town traffic to use residential roads and regional arteries like Inkster, MacIvor and Springfield Roads. The absence of a link between the intersection of Route 52 (Main) and Route 17 (Chief Peguis) toward Route 90 (Brookside) makes east west travel difficult, and is an important link for the north part of town to significant areas like the Airport, and Red River Community College.

The land for these links is owned by the city and simply awaits the laying of roadway. These type of major traffic arteries are designed to carry crosstown traffic efficiently with fewer environmentally damaging starts and stops. Further these roadways are designed to move traffic away from direct contact with residential streets.

References

1. ^ "Giant Overpass, Bridge For City Perimeter Route". The Winnipeg Tribune. January 30, 1958.