A bridge too far… into the future

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This article was published 09/02/2023 (973 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The City of Winnipeg wants to push replacement of the Arlington Bridge far into the future, even though the structure can’t currently handle a large truck or Transit bus.

Instead of spending about $320 million to replace the 111-year-old bridge that spans the CP railway yards — a proposal that has been before the city since 2019 — this week’s proposed budget shows councillors are now looking at spending $850,000 to rehabilitate the structure and study the efforts needed to keep it functioning for a minimum of another 25 years.

Coun. Janice Lukes, deputy mayor and chairwoman of the civic infrastructure renewal and public works committee, said it comes down to priorities — and there are other projects queued up in front of Arlington Bridge.

“It is really challenging,” Lukes said Thursday. “I think everyone in the city is aware we have an infrastructure deficit. We have a lot of aging infrastructure.

“The current (bridge) is two lanes and if we replaced it, it would be four lanes, with active transportation on both sides. But that is not happening right now.”

Lukes said the two main transportation infrastructure priorities currently are extending Chief Peguis Trail and widening Kenaston Boulevard.

The Arlington Bridge officially opened in February 1912.

The city’s oldest is the Harry Lazarenko Bridge (formerly Redwood Bridge), which open in 1908. It was followed in 1911 by the Louise Bridge. The Elm Park Bridge (now a pedestrian bridge) opened in 1914.

While motorists and pedestrians can use the Arlington Street bridge, it can’t be listed as a truck route and Transit buses are forced to detour around it.

“The capacity of the bridge in any condition is 9.1 tonnes, which would not support a Transit bus or other large vehicles, like trucks,” city spokesman Kalen Qually said.

As well, Qually said the slope going on and off the bridge at either end is too steep for buses.

“Transit expects that when the Arlington Bridge is replaced, it will be with a bridge that can support transit applications,” he said. “The Winnipeg Transit Master Plan includes a route, that travels along Arlington and across a new bridge, which would follow an alternate path for as long as the current Arlington Bridge is in use.

“Regarding the condition of Arlington Bridge, the bridge remains operational at this time and city staff regularly monitor… all bridges in Winnipeg for structural and functional integrity.”

Susan Green, a spokeswoman for the Manitoba Trucking Association, said replacing the Arlington Bridge isn’t a priority for moving goods around the city.

“The bridge is not a truck route, so whether it is closed or open doesn’t significantly impact trucking,” Green said. “The Manitoba Trucking Association has identified the Chief Peguis extension and Kenaston widening as strategic infrastructure investment we would like to see prioritized over the Arlington Bridge as a truck route.”

Chris Lorenc, executive director of the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association, also isn’t in favour of rebuilding the bridge at this time.

“I think the decision to remove Arlington from the capital budget is a sound decision,” Lorenc said. “Including it was based on an incomplete review the last time… To spend $300 or $400 million to simply replace an asset and not look at the traffic in the entire northwest area of the city is spending money but not investing money wisely.”

Lorenc said traffic in the area may flow better if the city expanded capacity on nearby streets, at a lower price tag.

Coun. Ross Eadie, whose Mynarski ward is where northbound traffic across the bridge ends up, said he is okay with the city looking at extending the life of the current structure. “It will still cost a lot of money, but it will be cheaper than a brand new bridge.”

Jim Silver, professor emeritus at the University of Winnipeg’s urban and inner-city studies program, who has looked at poverty issues in the inner city for decades, said while extending the life of the bridge makes sense at this time, the city shouldn’t be spending money to build any major transportation infrastructure.

“At a time when people are living in bus shelters, it is criminal to spend this much money on transportation issues,” Silver said. “It doesn’t make sense to me.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca