Another delay reopening 115-year-old Elmwood span a bridge too far for area residents, businesses

The city has pushed the reopening of the Louise Bridge back a third time, upsetting area residents and business owners forced to take lengthy detours.

The 115-year-old bridge, which crosses the Red River at Stadacona Street and Higgins Avenue, is now expected to remain closed until early September, according to a news release from the city Friday.

”We appreciate the frustration this will cause and ask for patience while we work towards reopening the bridge,” a city spokesperson said Monday.

David Foster, 67, has lived in the Elmwood neighbourhood for 25 years and owns a duct-cleaning business.

The closure has made his commute downtown longer because drivers are diverted either to the Disraeli Freeway or Harry Lazarenko Bridge that joins Redwood and Hespeler avenues, plugging up traffic, Foster said.

“You have to leave a lot earlier to go to your appointments. If you got an appointment at nine o’clock, you got to leave the house about eight o’clock so you can catch up on traffic, he said, while folding his clothes at Talbot Laundry & Dry Clean Service, located at Stadacona Street and Talbot Avenue.

“It doesn’t take you 15 minutes to get downtown anymore.”

Foster said the longer the city waits to replace the bridge, the more taxpayers will have to pay down the road.

The delayed reopening has also forced people to walk farther to bus stops and take routes that aren’t as direct when going downtown, he said, creating a “domino effect” of delays for people who don’t drive.

The bridge was shut down on May 23 for an annual inspection and maintenance, and was expected to reopen May 27. But workers discovered extensive corrosion requiring repairs initially thought would be completed by June 1, but that was followed by an additional delay until last week.

The bridge is open to cyclists and pedestrians, but that access could be reduced to “accommodate specific work,” the city’s news release said.

The extended closure has affected patients who need to see a doctor or pick up medication, said John Morcos, owner of I.D.A – Nairn Pharmacy and Medical Clinic. Many have already switched physicians or pharmacies, he said.

The closure, by extension, has also impacted revenue; the pharmacy has seen the volume of filled prescriptions fall since the original closure, Morcos said.

“Imagine if the patient is sick and needs to be seen, it’s very hard to get here. So he has to go look for another clinic downtown or somewhere else,” Morcos said.

The pharmacy has a delivery service that has experienced a spike in calls. Morcos said the service is stretched thin. The delivery drivers are also forced to take detours, increasing the time it takes to get medication to customers.

The repairs are a horrible inconvenience, said Coun. Janice Lukes, chair of the public works committee. More issues were found while corrosion repairs were being done on the 115-year-old structure, she said.

“This is a very, very old bridge. So, when you open up anything that’s that old, there’s bound be, regrettably some surprises,” she said Monday.

Lukes didn’t say how much the repairs will cost.

“We want to prevent the Louise Bridge from turning into an Arlington Street Bridge, and that’s why we closed it, to do the repair work necessary. Unfortunately, that’s going to take a little bit longer, but we have to get the work completed,” Mayor Scott Gillingham told reporters on Monday.

The Arlington Bridge, built in 1912, closed on Nov. 21, 2023, due to structural concerns. One year later, the city said it would cost $116 million — plus up to $27 million of interest — and take six years to replace.

City council approved a plan last year for spending $40 million to rehabilitate the Louise Bridge, with completion planned by 2030. The work is expected to extend the bridge’s lifespan by 30 years.

Gillingham, who wouldn’t say whether the work can be accomplished by 2030, thanked Winnipeggers for their patience.

matthew.frank@freepress.mb.ca