Construction costs rising 40% in Manitoba

CBC News reports that escalating construction costs have municipalities in Manitoba “scrambling” to find the money to complete infrastructure projects.
Among a list of projects that are over budget, the CBC report on October 25 cites a sewage treatment plant in Gimli whose price tag has doubled, an industrial water treatment plant in Brandon that has increased in cost by 40 per cent, and road repairs that are on hold because they’re also going to cost 40 per cent more than expected.
The mayor of Brandon, Dave Burgess, complained that the glut of work means construction companies are not even bothering to bid on jobs, and he has seen some with only one bid entered.
In Winnipeg, the chair of the city’s finance committee said the city is short by $25 million on its capital works budget.
Meanwhile, the Government of Manitoba’s department of Infrastructure and Transportation has announced it will boost spending on bridge construction and maintenance over the next four years. The province has a $4-billion multi-year program to invest in highways, including $269-million for bridges and $61.8 million for improvements to the Trans-Canada Highway. Plans include twinning the highway to the Saskatchewan border.
There are also plans to spend $83 million for rebuilding PTH 75 to the United States, and $68 million for PTH , the major route from Winnipeg to the north.