Forks bridge, closed for 16 months, could cost $10 million to fix By: Nicole Buffie Posted: 5:20 PM CDT Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024

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This article was published 24/10/2024 (665 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It could cost more than $10 million to repair the historic rail bridge at The Forks, a favourite with pedestrians and cyclists, which has been closed for 16 months.

Preliminary repairs to remediate the counterweight that sits above the bridge is expected to begin next week, said Zach Peters, communications manager of The Forks.

The price tag and timeline were outlined in engineering reports, which took longer than expected to conduct because of mild temperatures last winter.

Peters said upon reviewing the assessment, The Forks leadership is looking at short- and long-term solutions for the bridge, which closed without notice in June 2023.

“The bridge is a vital access point to and through The Forks,” Peters said in an email. “It’s certainly a priority for us to get it reopened.”

Peters declined to discuss the findings in the engineering reports. A timeline for the bridge’s repair and reopening was not provided, with The Forks only saying it is in the process of determining a permanent solution.

Construction work on the 110-year-old bridge could be seen Thursday afternoon.

Active transportation advocate Mark Cohoe said with a $10-million price tag, The Forks should consider asking the city and province to chip in to fast-track the repair work.

“When it’s out of commission, it puts a fairly big hole in our (transportation) network,” said Cohoe, who serves as executive director of Bike Winnipeg.

The former railway structure, which allows pedestrians and cyclists to cross the Assiniboine River from South Point Park to The Forks, has been closed since a routine assessment revealed potential safety issues.

The Forks has not released significant updates to the bridge’s future since December, to the frustration of some who use the crossing.

Jas Patel once travelled the bridge regularly on his commute to work but now has to detour on sidewalks and streets.

He now rides down St. Mary’s Road and through downtown side streets, a commute that is longer and less safe, the cyclist said.

“The city already has few access points for bikes … it’s a pain to deal with,” Patel said while at The Forks Thursday.

The city has not been approached about sharing in the cost of repairs and it isn’t currently being considered in the capital budget, spokesperson Kalen Qually said in an email.

A provincial spokesperson declined to comment, saying the federal government holds jurisdiction over any funding for the bridge.

Peters did not say whether The Forks would seek external funds to help pay for the bridge repairs.

Patel said it could be worth tearing down the old bridge and building anew, but cyclists are anxious to have the access point reopened in any way.

“We need something back,” he said.

Arlington Bridge remains closed

Meanwhile, another city bridge, more than a century old, remains closed to traffic. The Arlington Bridge, which links downtown to the North End, shuttered in November 2023 after an inspection revealed the structure was beyond the point of repair.

Council is studying options to replace the 112-year-old bridge, including a $171-million bridge option that would involve closing Dufferin Avenue at Arlington Street. A second proposal would see a $180-million version travel over Dufferin, leaving it open for vehicle traffic.

In 2019, a preliminary design estimated a new bridge could cost $319 million.

nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca