By Aldo Santin
Lester Grant has lived on Plessis Road for 20 years and has grown to accept the inconvenience caused by the CPR trains that criss-cross the tracks several times a day.
But Grant and other residents oppose a proposal to use the vast vacant field across from his home as a staging area where trains could wait for up to an hour because of a construction project on the floodway.
"The trains back up traffic," Grant said from the living room of his home a few doors south of the Plessis Road railway crossing. "I've lived here so long I've gotten used to it, but making the situation worse -- I can't support that."
A civic committee at city hall approved a proposal Tuesday to allow CPR to use a three-kilometre stretch of tracks between Panet Road and Plessis Road as a staging area. The move is necessary because the Manitoba Floodway Authority must demolish CPR's existing double-track bridge that crosses the floodway and replace it with a taller bridge. While the new bridge is under construction, a temporary, single-track bridge will be erected, but the temporary bridge can't accommodate trains moving east and west at the same time, as the old bridge can.
The staging area will be used by CPR to idle its eastbound trains, while the westbound trains cross the temporary floodway bridge and head into the city. The increased traffic disruptions are expected to last for a year -- the duration of the rail bridge construction -- and begin in September.
A consulting firm hired by the Manitoba Floodway Authority said traffic delays at Panet and Plessis at minimum will be increased by only a few minutes. But Ernie Gilroy, CEO of the floodway authority, told councillors Wednesday that the worst-case scenario could see traffic delays for up to an hour.
"Is there a petition I can sign against this idea?" asked Jennifer Spelliscy, another Plessis Road resident. "It's crazy now when the trains cross and you're stuck there. There is no other way around. This will be even worse."
The plan was approved over the objections of Transcona Coun. Russ Wyatt and Elmwood Coun. Lillian Thomas.
In addition to the train delays, Wyatt said he is worried about compromising the effectiveness of the city's emergency services when the idling trains block Peguis Street -- the main entrance into the new residential subdivision of Harbour View South.
Thomas, a member of the committee that considered the proposal, is concerned about traffic backups on Panet caused by idling trains. Before the trains can idle on the track between Panet and Plessis, they have to start slowing down as they approach Panet, which will also increase delays for traffic. The study prepared for the floodway authority predicted traffic on Panet could be backed up almost south to Nairn Avenue and north to Concordia Avenue as the trains pass through the staging area.
Thomas ultimately voted for the plan, but only on the condition that more attention would be paid to Panet by city staff in the future.
Wyatt said there were other options that CPR and the floodway authority could have used to accommodate the floodway construction, but it became clear that CPR would not tolerate any impacts on its schedule and that the floodway authority was trying to keep its costs to a minimum.
aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca
Construction woe
The Manitoba Floodway Authority will begin construction in September of a new twin-track railway bridge crossing the floodway. The new bridge will replace the existing bridge, which isn't high enough in the event of a one-in-700-year flood.
"ô CPR says there are nine westbound and nine eastbound trains going through Winnipeg daily.
"ô The railroad estimates that two to three times a day, the eastbound and westbound trains will pass each other. During construction of the new bridge, the trains will use a single-track detour bridge, requiring one train to wait while the other passes.
"ô When a westbound train is crossing the detour bridge, CPR will idle eastbound trains on a three-kilometre stretch of double track between Panet Road and Plessis Road. When an eastbound train is crossing the detour bridge, the westbound train will idle in an area east of the floodway on a stretch of existing twin track.
"ô When a westbound CPR train approaches the city, the eastbound train would slow down as it approaches Panet Road and come to a stop just west of Plessis. Because of the length of the train, Peguis Street would be blocked off while the train is idling.
"ô When the westbound train clears Plessis Road, the eastbound train will resume its move out of the city towards the detour bridge.
Impacts
"ô Wait times at Panet Road, Peguis Street and Plessis Road could increase on average by five minutes, but the delays could be as long as one hour.
"ô During the train crossings, access for emergency vehicles into the new subdivision of Harbour View South would be blocked from Peguis Street, doubling the response time to more than eight minutes as emergency vehicles use an alternative route.
"ô To minimize the increasing response time, the city will examine a temporary opening from Ravelston Avenue West onto Lagimodiere Boulevard for emergency vehicles only. However, streets officials have judged such an opening as unsafe, and would not allow it in the past. To prevent non-emergency vehicles using the temporary access, the city would place signs stating the access is only for emergency vehicles. There is a concern that motorists would ignore the postings and use the temporary opening as a shortcut onto Lagimodiere.
Alternatives
Transcona Coun. Russ Wyatt said the delays at Plessis Road, Peguis Street and Panet Road are unnecessary if CPR would consider other options. These include:
"ô Using the twin-track area east of the floodway to idle the westbound train until the eastbound train has cleared the detour bridge.
"ô Holding eastbound trains at the Weston Yards until the westbound train has cleared the staging area between Panet Road and Plessis Road.
"ô Diverting trains onto CNR lines during the period of construction.
"ô Diverting trains into the old CPR North Transcona Yards while another train is crossing the detour bridge.
The Manitoba Floodway Authority said none of the alternatives are acceptable.
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