The provincial government has awarded a contract to Moncrief Construction, a Kenora contractor, to widen the first section of the Trans-Canada Highway — Highway 17 — from two to four lanes between Kenora and the Manitoba-Ontario border.
The dollar value of the contract was undisclosed in the government's news release.
Construction begins this spring.
The government said the first section of Highway 17 twinning will create 310 jobs.
The contract includes requirements to work with Indigenous partners in the area and is expected to be completed in summer 2025.
According to the release, the twinning of Highway 17 between the Manitoba/Ontario border and Kenora will be done in three sections: Manitoba/Ontario border to Kenora (6.5 kilometres); Kenora to Rush Bay Road (8.5 kilometres); and Rush Bay Road to Highway 17A (25 kilometres). Construction on Sections 2 and 3 will begin once the environmental assessment and route planning and design are complete.
“The Twinning of Highway 17 is a legacy infrastructure project that will make roads safer in the Kenora region,” said Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford, the Northern development, mines, natural resources and forestry minister, in the release. “Families deserve to feel safe on the roads and that is exactly what our government will accomplish by widening this stretch of the highway. Having more room on the road is critical, especially during the winter months in Northern Ontario.”
“Awarding the construction contract for twinning Highway 17 is an exciting milestone towards making this critical highway safer for drivers in Northern Ontario,” said Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney in the statement. “Together with Indigenous communities in the Kenora region, we have a shared goal of creating jobs, improving safety and building a better transportation system in Northern Ontario.”
