Highway 75 set to open

A bit of good news came Sunday in Manitoba's extended 2011 flood battle.

Highway 75, the main road link connecting Winnipeg with the USA, isset to open Tuesday morning after being closed since April 18 due to floods, Manitoba Emergency Measures Minister Steve Ashton said Sunday.

As well, community ring dikes St. Jean Baptiste and Morris are likely to be removed in the next couple of days.

The re-opening of the highway south of Winnipeg along the Red River illustrates how the flood of 2011 has turned to a battle in western Manitoba and the Interlake region. Flood officials said they expect peak flows on the Assiniboine River around May 18 but high water in the Brandon area will be sustained for weeks.

Lake Manitoba continues to experience very high water levels, Ashton said, threatening various shoreline communities.

Ashton said Manitoba has requested additionaltroops help to join the 1,400 military personnel already on active flood duty in the province.