Councillors push for new Louise Bridge

There are renewed calls to replace the 115-year-old Louise Bridge after it recently shut down for months.

On Tuesday, councillors at the East Kildonan-Transcona community committee meeting voted to ask the public works committee to take another look at replacing the bridge that links Point Douglas to Elmwood. Specifically, the committee will be asked to refer a new bridge with at least four lanes, two in either direction, for consideration in the city’s 2026 budget process. The current span has one lane in each direction.

The move to plan a replacement, in case new funding becomes available, was sparked by its lengthy closure that tied up traffic on nearby routes, including the Disraeli Freeway, over the summer.

Coun. Russ Wyatt (Transcona) said he felt compelled to raise the motion due to residents’ complaints, despite the fact city council voted just last year to rehabilitate the bridge instead of building a new one.

“Now, we’re hearing from our constituents. We’ve had a (maintenance) project this summer… that kept getting delayed. We are risking an Arlington Bridge scenario here, whereby, all of a sudden, we get a surprise and we have to close the entire bridge permanently,” said Wyatt.

The Louise Bridge closed May 23 for an annual inspection and maintenance. It was originally expected to reopen May 27, but that date was delayed multiple times after crews discovered more extensive repairs were needed. It finally reopened to traffic on Aug. 22.

The Arlington Bridge, which opened in 1912, closed suddenly on Nov. 21, 2023, due to structural concerns. It remains closed, though the city has promised to demolish the structure and design its replacement.

In 2024, city council approved a $40-million preliminary design that aims to extend the Louise Bridge’s life by at least 30 years, which called for construction no later than 2030.

Wyatt said that decision shouldn’t stick because Winnipeg needs more strategic infrastructure investments to address traffic congestion.

“(We should) build what we need for the future,” he said.

Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) joined Wyatt to support the motion Tuesday.

Browaty said federal interest in certain types of infrastructure could raise the city’s chances of securing funding for the new bridge, though it would be weighed against other capital projects.

“(This motion is) not saying we’re going to go build a brand-new Louise Bridge tomorrow. But what it is saying is, let’s have another conversation about it, because with old infrastructure, there is the risk of unplanned, extended closures, even after a major investment,” he said.

Browaty and Wyatt are the only current members of the community committee, which has had a vacancy since Elmwood-East Kildonan Coun. Jason Schreyer died in April.

Kyle Roche and Braydon Mazurkiewich, who are both candidates in the Oct. 25 Elmwood-East Kildonan byelection, both advocated for a new bridge, instead of a repair, at the Tuesday community committee meeting.

“I’m happy that the bridge is open now but we can’t be without this for the next couple of summers. This is a main artery to get people from northeast Winnipeg to St. Boniface Hospital, (Health Sciences Centre),” said Mazurkiewich.

However, the head of council’s public works committee said she plans to vote against the idea to reconsider a full replacement of the aging bridge, noting council already voted to repair it.

“If we can spend $40 million, versus (more than) $100 million, (and the repair is) going to buy us another 30 years, in my mind… that was sufficient,” said Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West).

“No. 1, we don’t have the money because our (top infrastructure) priority is the (upgrade to the north end) sewage treatment plant. We have to be able to flush our toilets,” added Lukes.

A 2024 city report estimates a new Louise Bridge could cost $142 million for four lanes or $179 million for six lanes. The sewage treatment plant upgrade is expected to cost more than $3 billion.

Lukes said a bridge expansion would also equate to “over building.”

“Right now… the need is not there yet. (Our traffic experts) project in 25 to 30 years that lots of development will continue to occur (and) then that would support building a much more elaborate bridge and transit corridor,” she said.

Lukes said she understands this summer’s closure raised fears about the Louise Bridge’s future, not that long after Arlington Bridge was permanently shuttered.

“There’s concern any time a bridge closes due to the Arlington Bridge scenario. We all have that lingering in the back of our minds … but we have already voted on (the Louise Bridge repair). We decided, we’re moving along,” said Lukes.

The public works committee is expected to vote on Wyatt’s bridge replacement motion next month.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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