The MHCA and provincial government committed to discuss the rollout of the highways capital tender ad schedule this season at a coming end-of-season meeting with senior staff at Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure.
The commitment was made during a recent full discussion with MTI Minister Doyle Piwniuk, concerning progress to date on the tendering of the highways capital budget.
A review of the tender ad schedules released last winter and this summer indicates about 37% of projects (33 projects out of 89) have not, or not yet, been tendered to date.
“As an industry we need to recognize there were extraordinary pressures on the department in spring, with the amount of water the province saw through the thaw or rain, requiring its attention,” MHCA President Chris Lorenc said. “What we are pressing for now is that the department get all the tenders in the schedule advertised, allowing awards to happen and industry to prepare that work where necessary for the earliest start next year.”
It is important to see the full approximately $500 million in work, both highways capital and water structures, tendered, reflecting the annual program value, Lorenc said. The program budget includes all design work on the projects, and construction costs.
He noted the department and the industry have agreed an end-of-season discussion about the construction season – what worked well, what needs adjusting and suggestions to ensure full in-season rollout of tenders and completion of projects – for a “lessons learned” debrief.
The meeting allows industry to hear an overview of the department’s plans in 2023, he added.
