WINNIPEG, Man. — Manitoba’s flood warnings were realized yesterday as the province closed more than a dozen highway sections, including a stretch of Winnipeg’s main thoroughfare to the U.S.

The length of Hwy. 75 between Winnipeg and Morris, Man. was closed yesterday as water from the Red River seeped over its banks. Traffic heading south from the capital city has been diverted along Hwy. 3 and joining up with Hwy. 75 at the Hwy. 14 junction.

An estimated 1,500 trucks pass through Morris on a daily basis on route to North Dakota. Bob Dolyniuk, general manager for the Manitoba Trucking Association, told the Winnipeg Sun every one-hour delay will cost the trucking industry $85 per truck, including fuel costs and incurred wages.

Government officials noted the route could be closed for up to 10 days as emergency crews work to relieve the situation. Last week a flood forecast update suggested the slower-than-anticipated melt in Manitoba would cause tributaries to run higher than normal, indicating a large flood covering a wider area of valley lands. The forecast pointed to a flood similar in magnitude to that of 1996, which is predicted to be two feet higher than last spring.

– with files from the Winnipeg Sun