New highway cameras, digital message boards installed across Manitoba

A billboard and traffic camera were installed by the province along Highway 1 East, near the outskirts of Winnipeg. (Jamie Dowsett/CTV News Winnipeg)

Drivers along Manitoba highways will have more ways to stay safe and informed about route changes and road closures.

The province announced Monday that 20 new permanent digital message boards will be installed across Manitoba, along with over a dozen new highway cameras.

“We’re giving Manitobans the real-time information they need to make smart travel decisions, especially when weather and road conditions change quickly,” Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor said in a news release.

The new digital message boards will be placed on Provincial Trunk Highways 1, 1E, 6, 75, 100, and 101, as well as near Emerson, Winnipeg, Portage la Prairie, Thompson and other locations. They will show live updates for traffic delays, road closures and weather-related advisories. The province said the boards are controlled remotely and updated instantly.

In a news release, Naylor said 19 new cameras will be installed along “high-traffic corridors” and will capture road conditions every 15 minutes. The images will be uploaded to Manitoba511.

Installation of the signs and cameras started in July, and Naylor expects the installation to be fully operational later this fall.