Provincial Trunk Highway 3 (PTH 3) is a major corridor in Manitoba. When a bridge carrying PTH 3 traffic over the Morris River near the community of Brunkild, southwest of Winnipeg, was closed in September 2025 due to geotechnical instability, a detour route was quickly established. However, the established detour route which started near Winnipeg, and featured the use of smaller residential roads, was not designed to accommodate the heavier traffic and would likely see increased wear. A new established detour route was therefore required.

Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI), which maintains a substantial inventory of modular steel bridging components for planned and emergency use, responded swiftly to these issues. Drawing from its stock of Acrow 700XS® components, MTI engineered, assembled, and installed a temporary detour bridge tailored to site requirements on an accelerated schedule.

The detour structure measures 130′ (39.62m) in length with a 24′ (7.35m) roadway width, and was installed using a crane-assisted launch. Finished with an epoxy aggregate deck, the bridge opened to traffic on November 14, 2025, restoring a safe, direct and reliable route for motorists within the tight 12-week timeline, ahead of schedule.

The project highlights MTI’s leadership from initial inspection and closure of the old bridge to reassessment of the detour strategy and deployment of an improved alternative. Having modular bridge assets on hand eliminated procurement delays and significantly compressed the delivery timeline. It also reflects a broader commitment to resilience planning, as agencies that maintain bridge inventories are better positioned to address emergencies while supporting long-term asset management goals.

The temporary structure will remain in service until completion of the permanent replacement bridge in late 2026. At that time, the modular bridge will be dismantled, stored, and redeployed, reinforcing the versatility and reusability that make modular steel bridging an effective solution for both emergency response and planned infrastructure projects.