Bridge closure ‘major problem’ for cyclists, pedestrians

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/07/2023 (967 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Forks Historic Rail Bridge remains closed, with no reopening date in sight.

The popular downtown Winnipeg spot for pedestrians and cyclists was initially blocked to the public in early June, for “some necessary maintenance and construction,” The Forks spokesman Zach Peters said Thursday in an email.

Peters did not give further details on the cause of the closure of the attraction overlooking the meeting of the Assiniboine and Red rivers, nor the nature of work being done.

However, he said, the closure was unrelated to the May 31 elevated walkway collapse at Fort Gibraltar that sent 17 people to hospital, and an exact reopening date had not been decided.

It’s a concerning situation for people who use the former railway crossing as a safer way to cycle out of the downtown area without facing heavy traffic, said Tim Woodcock, owner of Woodcock Cycle Works.

“Lots of people use that for walking through, cycling through. So it is a major problem, because then you’re having to go on busy streets,” he said Thursday. “(The bridge) allows you to kind of tie all those back trails away from traffic and everything together.”

The Woodcock Cycle Works ride club regularly uses the span as a way to get family-friendly rides away from heavy traffic, he added.

“It’s surprising, because it is a major connector, and anytime we lose something like that, I think it limits some people to wanting to commute.”

A long-term closure in the peak of the cycling season, and without detailed updates, is puzzling, Woodcock said.

“I’m not sure why they can’t be communicating it a little better.”