City approves study to expand portion of Warde Avenue

A call to twin the lanes of a neighbourhood bottleneck in southeast Winnipeg has inched forward, though a push to fund the actual construction has stalled.

City council approved a $1.5-million preliminary design study Thursday that would explore expanding Warde Avenue from two lanes to four between Evelyn Reese and Lagimodiere boulevards. The study will also consider more extensive road enhancements along Warde, from Lagimodiere to St. Anne’s Road, including an overpass or underpass at railway tracks and bridge work near the Seine River.

St. Vital Coun. Brian Mayes said complaints poured into his office as the population in the Bonavista area has surged since 2017, leading him to call for the project.

Heavy demand now regularly snarls rush-hour traffic in the two-lane section he would like expanded, a backup that can stretch onto Lagimodiere Boulevard.

“It’s just not fair to people in that neighbourhood,” said Mayes.

While he’s pleased the city will study the idea, the councillor said he’s frustrated city council didn’t approve his other request to devote previously paid development funds for the area and unallocated regional road renewal cash to pay for the construction.

Mayes said that delay is especially frustrating because a precinct agreement for Bonavista required its developer to twin that section of Warde, with the city and company splitting the cost.

“Thousands of doors have been created. People all moved in with the written commitment (that) this thing would be four lanes. (Former St. Boniface Coun.) Dan Vandal, to his credit, got that put in, and here we are 12 years later, and we’ve done nothing,” said Mayes.

The councillor said the project was delayed because city officials felt it would be better to take on the cost and maintenance of the changes later on.

“The city’s view was the sooner we build these roads, (the sooner) they start deteriorating,” he said.

He estimates Bonavista now has about 1,600 homes and roughly 3,400 residents, noting a future round of development is expected to add another 1,000 homes within the next few years.

“I know it’s a horrible (traffic) backup,” said Mayes.

During Thursday’s council meeting, he deemed the delay in expanding the road an example of the city allowing extensive home construction without putting needed infrastructure in place to support it.

“The twinning is going to need to be done if you want housing starts,” said Mayes.

The councillor said the study will determine what the twinning would cost, though very early estimates range from $7 million to $13 million.

However, the majority of city council members voted against committing the city to pay for the entire project, including Mayor Scott Gillingham.

“Right now, there’s not enough money in the (development) reserve to twin Warde Avenue … A study’s needed before we can really understand the full budget required to twin Warde Avenue,” he said.

Gillingham agreed the city has struggled to provide sufficient infrastructure to support some of Winnipeg’s newest neighbourhoods.

“There (are) lessons to be learned there, that we need to make sure that we are putting the infrastructure there, getting it built in advance of all the homes,” he said.

The mayor noted Waverley West as an example, a community whose population grew beyond that of Brandon’s before its upcoming permanent fire hall and regional recreation centre were completed.

City spokeswoman Julie Dooley said finishing the entire construction of Warde Avenue is a “complex and costly” project the city doesn’t yet have full funding to build.

“The (developer’s portion of the twinning) money was contributed and not yet spent because it was decided to wait and do the whole road rather than piecemeal (projects). The money has been earmarked for that portion, but construction has not begun on any of the stretch,” wrote Dooley in an email.

She noted that initial plan predated Thursday’s city council decision.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

X: @joyanne_pursaga