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New Disraeli bridge would cost $200 million: Katz

By: Bruce Owen

Posted: 09/21/2009 11:46 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

The aging Disraeli Freeway will undergo major repairs. (RUTH.BONNEVILLE@FREEPRESS.MB.CA / FILE PHOTO)

WINNIPEG - A new Disraeli bridge, that stays open during construction to connect a quarter of Winnipeg to the rest of the city, may cost as much as $200 million, Mayor Sam Katz said today.

"It’s not a matter of what we need, it’s a matter of how we accomplish any of the alternatives that are on the table, and I’m sure you can appreciate, they all require one important ingredient — money," Katz said at an event Monday morning.

"An entirely new bridge with four lanes as well as active transportation? The number is probably somewhere around the $200 million mark."

The city had originally said the bridge replacement would cost about $140 million, but when residents in the north-east part of Winnipeg complained that construction would close the bridge for about 16 months, the city started looking at alternatives to allow traffic to and from Elmwood and North Kildonan flow during construction.

Katz and Premier Gary Doer are to meet on the bridge project this week. A final decision should be made by the end of the end of the month or early October.

Katz would not comment on whether the extra cost to replace with bridge would come from the province.

"Right now we’re looking at all the opportunities that exist to resolve the issue of a 16-month delay and we’ll explore each and every one of them," he said.

Ottawa has not expressed an interest in funding the bridge repairs or reconstruction, and the city has not put the bridge on its wish list for federal infrastructure funds.

Last week civic officials said the city is no longer looking at paying for the entire rehabilitation through a public-private partnership.
Katz’s executive policy committee is considering and idea to borrow $75 million for the project conventionally, as the year-long recession has allowed the city to borrow money at a much cheaper rate than any private construction consortium could.

This weekend Elmwood MP Jim Maloway said the city and province are leaning towards building an entirely new four-lane span just east of the existing bridge.

Katz made it clear he wasn’t happy the area’s former MLA was speaking publicly about what was happening behind the scenes.

"I find it really strange that an individual who’s made absolutely zero contribution to addressing the problem took it under himself to call the media and make certain comments," Katz said. "I wish that he would he would have rather come up with an idea to address the problem."

Katz also said a new bridge would not require additional land acquisition.

"I don’t think that is one of the challenges we face," he said. "We’re OK for that."

Provincial Infrastructure Minister Ron Lemieux said Monday major road projects the province is involved in do not require full closure.
"There will be more news to come when the premier and Mayor Katz get together and discuss this further," he said.

Lemieux also wouldn’t comment on whether the province would contribute more funding towards the project, citing ongoing negotiations over design and cost.

"One of the conditions from the provincial-side is that we don’t want the Disraeli closed off," he said.

bruce.owen@freepress.mb.ca

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