Winnipeg Construction X

[OTA in Winnipeg]

Originally Posted by yellowbean

https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=2811077

~40 second video of the Young St fire aftermath for those who haven't seen it

Can anyone comment on the extent of the damage/how bad it is? looks pretty terrible but i have no experience in the industry

Weather report

Edit: Right. I see this has been addressed

[Hecate]

Don’t blame taxes, this has multiple layers of neglect all over it. It was to be replaced by 2020, but the wealthier residents who run city council, and all live south of portage avenue, didn’t see a need to fix an aging bridge across a sea of dilapidated rail yards to connect a community full of poor people.

[Winnipegger]

Originally Posted by Hecate

Don’t blame taxes, this has multiple layers of neglect all over it. It was to be replaced by 2020, but the wealthier residents who run city council, and all live south of portage avenue, didn’t see a need to fix an aging bridge across a sea of dilapidated rail yards to connect a community full of poor people.

No, this entirely the fault of "fiscally prudent" politicians who get elected time and time again, prioritizing a low property tax environment in exchange for decaying infrastructure. The blue collar boomer voters, who make up a massive voting bloc in municipal elections, continue to have outdated beliefs that the best way to improve Winnipeg is to let everything fall apart in hopes that low taxes will attract business investment when in reality businesses tend to favor high quality infrastructure environments.

Regardless, Arlington by all objective measurements is less of a priority than other infrastructure projects competing for scarce municipal funding, likely due to its low traffic volumes compared to other corridors in much need. The cost/benefit simply doesn't justify the investment to replace when ranked against other major projects.

There is nothing racist or classist about Arlington's relatively low priority on the infrastructure replacement list. There are simply other infrastructure projects that will serve a wider public userbase and are a better use of the public's money.

[Hecate]

Originally Posted by Winnipegger

No, this entirely the fault of "fiscally prudent" politicians who get elected time and time again, prioritizing a low property tax environment in exchange for decaying infrastructure. The blue collar boomer voters, who make up a massive voting bloc in municipal elections, continue to have outdated beliefs that the best way to improve Winnipeg is to let everything fall apart in hopes that low taxes will attract business investment when in reality businesses tend to favor high quality infrastructure environments.

Regardless, Arlington by all objective measurements is less of a priority than other infrastructure projects competing for scarce municipal funding, likely due to its low traffic volumes compared to other corridors in much need. The cost/benefit simply doesn't justify the investment to replace when ranked against other major projects.

There is nothing racist or classist about Arlington's relatively low priority on the infrastructure replacement list. There are simply other infrastructure projects that will serve a wider public userbase and are a better use of the public's money.

The removal of the Arlington bridge for pedestrians/cyclists in that part of the city would be like taking out the bridge in lockport, leaving the only other options for crossing the red river: the perimeter to the south and selkirk to the north.

It is entirely racist and classist that this pivotal piece of infrastructure for north winnipeg residents was left to rot.

[Biff]

^^^sigh!

It is the lowest daily usage bridge in the city (13,100 vehicles per day - 2022) that would be one of the most expensive to replace. The replacement would cause area's on either end to have to be bulldozed for new and proper approaches. I guess that would be racist and classist as well.

Tear it down, spend money on expanding McPhillips and possibly explore building a pedestrian structure over the yards using some of the existing piers.

https://legacy.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/trafficControl/trafficData/trafficFlowMap.stm

[Hecate]

Originally Posted by Biff

^^^sigh!

It is the lowest daily usage bridge in the city (13,100 vehicles per day - 2022) that would be one of the most expensive to replace. The replacement would cause area's on either end to have to be bulldozed for new and proper approaches. I guess that would be racist and classist as well.

Tear it down, spend money on expanding McPhillips and possibly explore building a pedestrian structure over the yards using some of the existing piers.

https://legacy.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/trafficControl/trafficData/trafficFlowMap.stm

Lol

The bridge was to be decommissioned in 2020, we knew this was coming and nothing was done about it.

That is blatant neglect.

This isn’t so much an issue for vehicular traffic as it is for cyclists and pedestrians.

But let’s have another study about building a pedestrian bridge in Osborne village. That’s for sure a priority.

[bomberjet]

Just do nothing. That's my solution at this point. Tear down the bridge, and/or investigate re-use as a ped bridge.

Otherwise just let traffic re-route to the other crossings.

Also there is a thread for this. If the mods could move the convo please.

[WildCake]

Originally Posted by Biff

^^^sigh!

It is the lowest daily usage bridge in the city (13,100 vehicles per day - 2022) that would be one of the most expensive to replace. The replacement would cause area's on either end to have to be bulldozed for new and proper approaches. I guess that would be racist and classist as well.

Tear it down, spend money on expanding McPhillips and possibly explore building a pedestrian structure over the yards using some of the existing piers.

https://legacy.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/trafficControl/trafficData/trafficFlowMap.stm

Thanks for sharing Biff. I guess this data helps support why the city has hummed and hawed on Arlington and Louise replacements. They're by far the lowest traffic counts (13K and 16K respectively), and aside from Redwood at 24.5K, the rest of the city's rail and river crossings are >30k per day.

It's too bad McPhillips is already strained as it is so increasing the traffic load of 6-7k vehicles per day (assuming a rough split between Slaw Redchuk) will hurt.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by Biff

^^^sigh!

It is the lowest daily usage bridge in the city (13,100 vehicles per day - 2022) that would be one of the most expensive to replace. The replacement would cause area's on either end to have to be bulldozed for new and proper approaches. I guess that would be racist and classist as well.

Tear it down, spend money on expanding McPhillips and possibly explore building a pedestrian structure over the yards using some of the existing piers.

https://legacy.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/trafficControl/trafficData/trafficFlowMap.stm

I'm not against this plan, but I wonder what the cost of a tear-down would be? I would think it would have to be done in stages to accommodate use of the CPR yards? Either that or declare it and "architecturally significant example of 1909 steel truss construction" and preserve it as an historical attraction for the city.

More conjecture; what is the possibility fo expanding McPhillips and adding to the current Slaw Rebchuck bridge? Is there room to add, say, an additional lane on either side of the current structure?

[Biff]

Marketlands is finally out for tender...yay!

[FactaNV]

Was anyone watching if council accepted the EPC's recommendation to accept zoning changes for the HAF money? That was supposed to be voted on today in Council.

[Justanothermember]

Originally Posted by FactaNV

Was anyone watching if council accepted the EPC's recommendation to accept zoning changes for the HAF money? That was supposed to be voted on today in Council.

According to your own post in another thread, it passed

[NewIreland]

Originally Posted by Biff

Marketlands is finally out for tender...yay!

How long until actual construction? Has there been any interest in the north lots?

[WinCitySparky]

I can’t believe the process for hashing out the rapid zoning specifics isn’t happening until spring 2025 as mentioned in the article. That’s totally ridiculous.

[post_man]

Originally Posted by Biff

Marketlands is finally out for tender...yay!

To build the Daoust Lestage design? Or an iteration of it?

[lbnevs]

Originally Posted by Hecate

Lol

The bridge was to be decommissioned in 2020, we knew this was coming and nothing was done about it.

That is blatant neglect.

This isn’t so much an issue for vehicular traffic as it is for cyclists and pedestrians.

But let’s have another study about building a pedestrian bridge in Osborne village. That’s for sure a priority.

I think this is the most depressing part of Winnipeg city politics and planning.

So our priorities are widening stroads to speed up low density suburban development in the southwest (90 expansion) and northeast (CPT extension). Existing infrastructure crumbles and ages past its lifetime, creating unplanned and urgent repair work.

And so, projects that would actually enhance the livability of the city -- like a bridge that would create a safe and convenient pedestrian and cycling connection, merge the amenities of two parks in two densely-populated neighbourhoods (OV and Broadway-Assiniboine), that would make the city better instead of just not actively getting worse -- are at the bottom of the pile of priorities.

We can't be a great city because we have to spend our money trying to avoid decline and disrepair, because we have and continue to build an infrastructure footprint we can never actually afford.

Depressing.

[Biff]

Originally Posted by post_man

To build the Daoust Lestage design? Or an iteration of it?

[xubiqtss]

Originally Posted by Biff

Boring but inoffensive...

Still, in an era when cities are doing amazing things with the re-use of buildings, the demolition of the Public Safety Building will always be a black mark.

[thebasketballgeek]

Originally Posted by xubiqtss

Boring but inoffensive...

Still, in an era when cities are doing amazing things with the re-use of buildings, the demolition of the Public Safety Building will always be a black mark.

Well in my opinion the demolition of the Public Safety Prison was a crowning achievement for the aesthetics of the Exchange District.

It’s not that I’m completely against Brutalism (the Canadian Grain Commission and Robson Hall bldgs are works of art imo) but man that thing was an eyesore and so depressing to look at next to City Hall.

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by xubiqtss

Boring but inoffensive...

Still, in an era when cities are doing amazing things with the re-use of buildings, the demolition of the Public Safety Building will always be a black mark.

I suppose I'm in the minority here, but I don't miss it. IMO there was nothing terribly attractive about it.