Receding flood waters allow parts of Highway 75 to reopen

Sections of Highway 75 in southern Manitoba have reopened, giving residents more freedom to travel.

One lane in each direction is now open from Morris to the Manitoba-U.S. border. Highway officials said parts of the road, the main artery between Winnipeg and the international border, have emerged from the flood waters.

Debris has been cleared away and work to repair erosion damage to the shoulders of the road has started.

Highway travel from Winnipeg to Morris, however, is still being rerouted.

Much of the road has been off-limits to traffic since early April. For the past month, the stretch from Winnipeg to Highway 14 a distance of about 87 kilometres was closed to most traffic as the Red River washed over it.

Local traffic was allowed along certain portions, specifically from Winnipeg city limits to Highway 205, and from St. Jean Baptiste to Highway 14, but heavy truck trafficwas prohibited along the entire way.

The full length of the highway, from the southern edge of Winnipeg to the border, is 96 kilometres.