An official with Manitoba Infrastructure says they are monitoring the new access in and out of the community of Emerson off of Highway 75.

The province has redesigned a portion of Highway 75 northbound, north of the Emerson port of entry. As a result, the PR 200 intersection has now been closed and travellers must now use the PR 243 intersection located further north to get in and out of the community. Local officials say the design change is confusing and has created a safety issue for vehicles trying to merge onto Highway 75 northbound at that intersection because there is no proper merge lane at that location.

Doug Struthers, regional director for Manitoba Infrastructure, says they were unable to finish construction at that intersection due to the wet conditions in fall. "Instead of having a smooth transition to a merge lane it is now a yield situation. Once we complete construction next spring then the yield sign will be taken away and there will be a merge sign because by then there will be a lane that is quite long which will allow merging traffic to pick up speed and merge in with the through traffic on 75."

Dave Carlson, reeve for Emerson-Franklin Municipality has suggested a speed reduction along the stretch of Highway 75 northbound to create a safer situation for motorists merging onto the Highway.

"Currently the speed limit right now is 110 km/h on PTH 75 south of Morris," said Struthers. "That intersection has been reduced to 75 km/h as you approach the border ... because that intersection is still under construction we will have a look at it to see if a further reduction is necessary."

Municipal officials and some local business operators in Emerson have expressed disappointment with the new PR 243 access to Emerson and feel Manitoba Infrastructure made changes to the original concept without consulting them first. However, Struthers says that intersection was part of the original plan. "The conceptional study was completed in 2014 and the functional design was completed in 2016 ... and in both studies, that's exactly how the access is shown."

Work on finishing construction at that intersection will resume in spring, according to Struthers.