Improving Winnipeg road construction
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/03/2020 (1172 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
We’re making tremendous progress in the drive towards better, longer lasting roads in Winnipeg.
Fixing Winnipeg’s roads has been a top priority for voters since I was first elected in 2014. In that first campaign, I heard again and again that addressing the infrastructure deficit should be top of mind at City Hall.
It has been, and that’s why, since 2014, the City of Winnipeg has invested a record amount in local and regional roads. People have anecdotally reported that many of the worst roads they drove over have been addressed.
More is still to come; Archibald Street (a major source of complaints in St. Boniface ward) is scheduled for a major rehabilitation with the support of federal infrastructure money this year. Over $600 million has been spent on roads since 2014, with hundreds of millions more projected in the coming years.
Aside from the desire for more roads to be fixed however, there’s another theme I’ve heard many times.
Winnipegers want their roads to be built better and built to last. Winnipeggers have often asked why the roads in other nearby jurisdictions like Saskatchewan, North Dakota, and others appear to be better. Budgets aside.
To that end, City Council funded a research chair position at the University of Manitoba, led by Dr. Ahmed Shalaby. I also chaired the City’s ‘road construction working group’ with industry representatives. The latter conducted a detailed review of our processes and tendering., which was adopted by council. Dr. Shalaby and Public Works produced road spec recommendations on how we can improve construction methods.
I met with Dr. Shalaby in late 2019, and he informed us that some of the reformed road construction methods had been implemented as part of the $29 million Fermor Avnune bridge and road rehabilitation.
Further, the city’s public works department has developed new road construction specifications that are ready to be rolled out across the City of Winnipeg for this construction season. As my wife likes to say: “Do it right the first time!”
Expert advice and modern science has been applied to these new road construction specifications.
I am very excited to move these improved road construction specifications forward in order to ensure that taxpayers are getting the longest-lasting road they can at the best price.
Let’s ensure that the historic ongoing investment in road renewal leaves a legacy of good roads for decades to come.
Matt Allard
St. Boniface ward report
Matt Allard is the city councillor for St. Boniface.