A Manitoba Infrastructure redesign project will provide earlier access to the town of Emerson, reducing the overall distance by approximately 1.8 kilometres.

"So once you cross the border you would have had to access Emerson at the scales. Now what Manitoba Infrastructure had drawn up was an earlier turn out before the Travel Manitoba building, so it's basically a yield off the highway then on to the secondary road and then leach into Emerson," said Emerson-Franklin Reeve Dave Carlson.

"It's a bit of a compromise. We weren't very happy to lose direct access to Emerson that we've always enjoyed at the border," he said. "But we just kind of felt there was an expectation with the people of Emerson that we'd get as close of an access into town as we could."

Emerson-Franklin Reeve Dave Carlson. (File photo)

The project is part of the overall Highway 75 rehabilitation plans, so the municipality will not have to spare any funding.

"We definitely still have our eye firmly on economic development in that area so we're hoping it either compliments or makes things better for us there, so it doesn't hinder in any way our plans that we have there," Carlson said.

As far as other infrastructure projects go, the Municipality will apply to the government's Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, which will see $3 billion provided to communities over 10 years, with a focus on green initiatives.

"There are different things we do want to do. Green energy is one, where we can possibly invest in making our facilities more efficient," Carlson said, adding that Council might explore the idea of using solar panels.

Sewer and water infrastructure in Dominion City and Emerson, that date back to the 1950s and '60s, could also receive an upgrade.

"We're going to be basically applying for whatever we can," he said. Council will determine its priorities at its next meeting.

Additionally, Carlson says they are hoping to receive compensation from the provincial government for flood expenses. He estimates the Municipality spent around $30,000 on preparation measures, but they will need at least $600,000 to cover the clean-up cost.

"There was a lot of over-land flooding that brought debris into the fields, and filled a lot of ditches, washed out roads; we had about 50 miles of debris clean up to do," he said. "We did it with some of our own equipment but we also contracted out because we had to try to keep up with our day-to-day services we provide."

Carlson says he is concerned that the pending provincial election and blackout may result in delayed funding.