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Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

New Disraeli bridge would cost $200 million: Katz

By: Bruce Owen

21/09/2009 11:46 AM | Comments: 17

The aging Disraeli Freeway will undergo major repairs.

RUTH.BONNEVILLE@FREEPRESS.MB.CA / FILE PHOTO Enlarge Image 

The aging Disraeli Freeway will undergo major repairs.

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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17 Commentscomment icon

@ Default

No, you're wrong. Ikea is putting mostly its own money into the building AND infrastructure. That's the difference.

@ Debadoo: agreed. South perimeter bridge is a joke. An expensive joke.

We should be spending money on infrastructure renewal rather than new infrastructure that we don't need, ie. the human rights museum.

Mick, yes other bridges have stayed open while rebuilding.....South Perimeter has, as a matter of fact, the construction on that bridge has been going on for FOUR years.....due to repairs and redoing work that was already done. Disraeli needs to be done properly for it to work!

If they built a IKEA in this area, there would be no fuss at all. It would be built within 6 months using the worlds best architects and state of the art techniques.
They city will only put money into the south end of town.
Who cares about the east... AM I Right?

If the bridge is THAT bad of condition, then it should be closed immediately. If it isn't closed immediately and something happens due to the poor condition of the bridge, then who's going to answer to that???? I'm sure if the bridge was in THAT bad of condition, it would have been closed already.

Other bridges have stayed open during construction.....

How about this? Meet half way - keep half the bridge open during construction the travel is only one way - either to coincide with the rush hour: South in the am and North in the pm, or just one direction only full time.

For all the people who think the bridge should remain open, I invite you to take a walk across the bridges to view their condition up close. When the city engineers say the best option is to close the bridge, I believe them. There are HOLES in the sidewalk which you can see daylight through. The rails are heavily rusted. The support structure is very old and has taken abuse from more than one large truck driving underneath and colliding with the bridge. I for one would prefer NOT to have what happened in Minneapolis happen here. Let them close it - tough it out and then be done with it. I live in East K and I'm willing to just cope to make sure it's done safe, and done right.

& Dunder Mifflin: So Elmwood is considered a suburb now? I believe many of those working class tiny bungalows were built around the turn of the century (1900). Wait, you live in St. B. By your comments I'll assume you've never been to the North East side then.

-something i'd like to add about a bridge nearby-the Redwood. Took approx. 9 mos. was NOT ripped right apart or completely crippled and for the majority of the nine, work vehicles could drive across. They had something like a pseudo-taxi service for residents wanting to get to other side. Redwood maybe what, a few hundred metres long, Dis is 1.5 miles or kms. long?? Winnippeggers, you're being fibbed to, it's gonna blast WELL-OVER any advertised budget and schedule, there will be total chaos and not likely you'll be able to use the "i'll not vote for you next time" nonsense when it all looks like nothing worked as stated or guaranteed. Sure a lot of speculating in Politician Land but I won't be bashing the construction teams or workers-they'll be doing a remarkable job under extremely tough and sensitive conditions so remember not to take out your wrath on them as it won't be their fault you're stuck in traffic!

Please remember my opinion when the bridge work does in fact start. Closing only part of it while you work on one side and then swap it out later, you'll see what's gonna happen. Traffic is wicked now and people do try to go at a pretty good pace. Evidence of this-all those tickets everyone would squawk about from photo radar. Yes there "will" be problems that pop up and you can never tell until you open up that bridge. 1 car stalls today or there's an accident, man that was horrible this past summer! Add to the 1/2 a bridge at a time decision, combine slower posted speeds and dangerous situations for the construction workers and to top it off all the stuff-businesses and vehicles below the spans, still think it's a good thing to leave some open? At least by shutting it right down and tackling it full bore you'd complete it more safely and quickly. Many people who only use the Dis to travel from Suburbia and to downtown work and then back home at night, had or have no idea what to do in the event of something like an accident, they're not aware of alternative routes and heaven forbid, NEVER drive thru the N.End instead! Good luck, you've been warned, practice now and learn to use many alternative routes or you'll be in big trouble. Want to bet it'll be just shy of 2 years when it "might" get finished??? Build a new one EAST of this one and over water? Add 100 million to the price then 'cuz that's what it'll be! I predict around 300 mill AND a 2-yr. nightmare

Yes Krobax, Arlington bridge will be closed if someone sneezes on it. And McPhillips is a bottleneck always. But I go this way as Henderson is often a problem - and when there's a problem, IT'S A PROBLEM! Attitude is right.
Null you just got a new Main street bridge. And when they need another lane they simply move those portable barricades over. So what's the problem? Sheesh.
Point is, everyone things they have it worse - but they really do need 6 lanes on the Disraeli.

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