The city expects to start construction to reopen Portage Avenue and Main Street to pedestrian access in two months.
The City of Winnipeg is seeking a contractor to begin construction by Nov. 15 and reopen the intersection to foot traffic by July 1, tendering documents released Friday state.
The city noted in a news release that construction is needed to support “the safe movement of pedestrians, vehicles and cyclists” at-grade through the intersection, decades after pedestrian access was cut off in 1979.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
The City of Winnipeg is seeking a contractor to begin construction at Portage Avenue and Main Street by Nov. 15.
The construction will include: demolishing existing barrier walls, installing new traffic signals and streetlights, adding a curb extension on the southeast corner to allow for shorter pedestrian crossing distance across Portage Avenue and more pedestrian space at the corner, repairing and adjusting existing medians, and installing new curbs and sidewalks to accommodate pedestrian crossings on all four corners.
“Work is expected to occur concurrently on all four corners of the intersection,” the release said.
The winning company is expected to “outline how it intends to maintain access to the businesses in the area during construction with as little disruption as possible.”
Additional design work for the intersection will be noted in a rapid transit design study expected to begin in 2025, the release said.
Allowing pedestrians to once again cross the intersection has been debated for years. Opponents feared the changes would be costly and delay traffic, while supporters argued it could help rejuvenate downtown and make it easier to travel through.
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Joyanne Pursaga
Reporter
Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.
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