McPhillips Street construction still ongoing

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This article was published 07/08/2018 (2827 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

 

Construction continues to take place on McPhillips Street, but it’s nearing completion.

 

On Fri., Aug. 3 at 6 p.m., the City closed the northbound lane on McPhillips Street between Logan Avenue and Jarvis Avenue to facilitate construction on the McPhillips Street Underpass. McPhillips was converted into a single-lane, one-way (southbound only) road at all times and it will remain like that for several weeks.

During the excavation of the roadway through the underpass, buried elements of the bridge structure were uncovered and found to be in deplorable condition requiring immediate repair. Through consultation with Canadian Pacific Railway (the bridge owner), it was determined that the closure of the road to northbound traffic was necessary to allow the railway to complete the unexpected repairs. 

Drivers are asked to start planning ahead and use alternate routes in the coming weeks, such as Route 90, Keewatin Street, or the Slaw Rebchuk Bridge. The City stated Arlington Bridge has limited capacity and is not recommended as an alternate route, and reminded motorists that it is not a truck route. Northbound cyclists at the McPhillips Street Underpass are advised to hop off and walk their bike on the sidewalk or to use an alternate route.

The McPhillips Underpass project has been under construction since May, and it’s scheduled for completion in November.

“We try to time these projects that we have the least amount of inconvenience to the public as possible,” he said.

The McPhillips Street strip between Logan Avenue and Jarvis Avenue was requiring reconstruction for a while, and as part of the project, consultants investigated the possibility of lowering the roadway by approximately one foot because the CP Rail Bridge was very shallow and trucks were at risk of getting stuck. 

“It’s been a known spot for trucks,” Matthew Hildebrand, streets project engineer with the City, said.

According to him, the roadway was in poor condition, and they wanted to investigate the additional clearance for the underpass. 

In addition to rebuilding the lanes, the City is adding sidewalk retaining walls, new street lights, roadside safety improvements, boulevard restorations and improvements to the existing land drainage and sewer and a water main renewal.

Workers were on the job as soon as the frost came out of the ground.

Community members will enjoy an improved ride, as well as improvements to sidewalks, boulevards, and lighting. Clearance for larger vehicles is also an important aspect of the project, Hildebrand said. In the past, if a truck got stuck at the bridge, it would create a significant traffic backup. 

“We also had issues with drainage at the underpass, and part of this project included ensuring that we got proper drainage for large storm events,” Hildebrand said.

On July 30, McPhillips was closed between Redwood Avenue and College Avenue due to a water main break. On July 31, the City closed the northbound lanes in the area until crews completed repairs. Northbound traffic was diverted to one southbound lane, ensuring traffic flow in both directions.

For Transit re-route and schedule information, visit winnipegtransit.com or contact 311.