Arlington Bridge replacement would cost $166M, take 6 years: report

Posted on November 25, 2024 by Peggy

A new Arlington Bridge could take six years to build and cost a little more than $166 million, a city report says.

That’s just over half the cost of an earlier estimate, done in 2019, that pegged the price at nearly $320 million. That design had three lanes of traffic — two northbound and one southbound — while the new one just has two lanes.

The city plans to build the new bridge right where the current one spans the Canadian Pacific Kansas City railway yard, which means the existing bridge will need to be demolished.

Engineers assessed the bridge earlier this year to see if repairs could extend its life, but public works chair Janice Lukes says the bridge is too deteriorated and must be torn down.

The report says the closure of the bridge has had significant impacts on the closest alternative routes crossing the rail yard.

Morning peak traffic at the McPhillips Street underpass now lasts an hour longer, and afternoon peak time lasts two hours longer. The underpass was operating at capacity during afternoon rush hours before the closure, and is now 25 per cent over capacity.

Traffic on the Slaw Rebchuk Bridge has increased by approximately 5,000 vehicles per day.

The new bridge will enable Winnipeg Transit buses and some trucks to get over, creating a new connection between the north and south parts of the city, Lukes said. The angle of the current bridge is too steep for buses.

It will also include two multi-use pathways on either side to accommodate active transportation.

“It is really important that we move on this bridge, because you can see the volumes of traffic,” Lukes said.

The option recommended by the city involves closing Dufferin Avenue at the bridge and full or partial acquisition of 17 properties. An alternative plan that would have kept Dufferin open would have required the city to acquire 13 more properties and cost another $8 million.

The city is facing financial challenges, which makes proceeding with work on the new bridge difficult.

Design work may begin next year, but it could be while before construction begins, unless other governments commit funding, Lukes said.