What is Floodway Expansion?

The Red River Floodway Expansion Project will increase flood protection for residents of the City of Winnipeg, East St. Paul and West St. Paul. Once completed, the project will protect more than 450,000 Manitobans, over 140,000 homes, over 8,000 businesses, and prevent more than $12 billion in damages to the provincial economy in the event of a 1-in-700 year flood.

By increasing the capacity of the floodway channel from 1,700 cubic metres (60,000 cubic feet) of water per second to 4,000 cubic metres (140,000 cubic feet) per second, floodway expansion will increase the level of protection from floods with a 1-in-90 to a 1-in-700 year probability of recurrence.

The project will result in a major expansion of the existing floodway protection system including modifications to the Floodway Channel, replacement and upgrade of 8 bridge crossings, improvements to the Inlet and Outlet control works, modifications to utilities and services and the expansion of the West Dike. Approximately 27 million cubic metres (35 million cu. yds) of earth will be moved in the process. The expansion is expected to take place over 5 years (2005-2011) with 1-in-700 year flood protection being achieved by the spring of 2009. The final bridges will completed by the end of 2010 with the planned Inlet Control Structure work being completed in 2011.

Floodway Components (8.4MB)

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