Major traffic delays expected as St. Vital Bridge construction work begins this week: city
Estimated $52M in upgrades to bridge, surrounding roads, sidewalks, paths will stretch into 2024, city says
A Winnipeg bridge in need of upgrades will get them starting this week, and drivers who pass through the area are being warned to give themselves a little more lead time to get where they're going.
The St. Vital Bridge will go down to a single lane in each direction of Route 62, which is called Osborne Street north of the bridge and Dunkirk Drive south of the bridge, from Jubilee Avenue to Kingston Row.
Crews will begin work on the bridge Wednesday at 9 a.m., according to a city news release out Monday.
The city says drivers should expect closures to extend north and south of the bridge to nearby roadways through the year and into 2024.
The first stage of the work will focus on the southbound portion of the bridge. Pedestrians will still be able to cross, but only on the east side of the bridge.
The work beginning Wednesday is part of an estimated $52-million in upgrades that are expected to extend the life of the bridge by 50 years and improve the flow of traffic and safety for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists, according to the city.
When it's all done, the bridge will have a widened pathway on either side, along with updates to the pedestrian tunnel that runs underneath.
There will also be new trees and landscaping work, and about a kilometre and a half of new multi-use pathways and sidewalks added to the surrounding area, the city said.
When work is finished next year, the speed limit on Osborne/Dunkirk will drop from 70 kilometres an hour to 60 km/h between Clare and Glenview avenues.
While construction is underway, the speed limit in the area will be reduced to 50 km/h.
The city said drivers can expect "major traffic delays" during construction and should look for alternate routes, such as St. Mary's Road or Pembina Highway.
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