Winnipeg | Portage and Main

[michelleb]

I get such sun blindness off the ultra reflective white sidewalks. I don't remember having that problem in other cities.

I wish the city would stop putting in that "decorative" banding. The bricks end up shifting around when the sand/gravel washes away. There's a spot on Donald south of York that developed an ankle-twisting strip within a year of being built that I have to avoid every day, and the city never fixed it when they were doing spot fixes under contract last year.

[Jeff]

the worst thing with the decorative banding is that on some streets it's painted on.. like on academy rd LOL but then no missing bricks at least.

[FactaNV]

In all fairness, any decoration would come with the transit station, should they have built it all at the same time? Yes. But is it coming despite that? Also yes. (At least let's hope so).

[Jeff]

well hopefully carney rewards winnipeg with voting mostly red with heaps of federal transit funds! otherwise we gonna get used to this intersection as-is for a decade or two for sure.

[pspeid]

Man it does NOT take long for people to take a victory and turn it into an unmitigated disaster. The sidewalks suck! Gillingham sucks! Everything sucks! The "keep it closed" faction must be loving this.

[Glenn99]

Originally Posted by pspeid

Man it does NOT take long for people to take a victory and turn it into an unmitigated disaster. The sidewalks suck! Gillingham sucks! Everything sucks! The "keep it closed" faction must be loving this.

No kidding!

[1ajs]

Originally Posted by pspeid

Man it does NOT take long for people to take a victory and turn it into an unmitigated disaster. The sidewalks suck! Gillingham sucks! Everything sucks! The "keep it closed" faction must be loving this.

no im saying shame we did this cheaping out thats all as the underground is an asset we need to keep going as well

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by 1ajs

no im saying shame we did this cheaping out thats all as the underground is an asset we need to keep going as well

But isn't calling this opening of P & M a "cheap out" just another way to belittle what is essentially a positive development? I know this is an opinion forum and people are free to blue sky different ideas, but I think we have to keep a sense of perspective as well. For many of us opening P & M is a positive step in the regrowth of downtown. Improved aesthetics are desirable, but they can be added later. It's great to dream big, but P & M is hardly the only expense the city has to deal with. I think it's incredibly short-sighted to start slagging Gillingham (other posters, not you) for not providing something flashier at P & M when he's been the only mayor to actually get the job done and open the intersection. We often bemoan the lack of vision in our civic leaders. I wonder how many people want to do something daring or original when their own supporters eventually turn on them?

[pegster]

^ Agreed.

Gillingham has taken the "open or closed" debate off the table, finally. And the repairs look pretty handsome, if basic, to me. I don't think we should spend lots of time and money debating making it a grand plaza for people before the people have even come back.

Once we get some movement on the downtown transit corridor, where P&M will be a major interchange, we can spiff it it up. But for now, just get it open. The people make the place.

[Mr Tall Forehead]

^ ditto to both the above.

[trueviking]

the most interesting part of this work is that two lanes were removed from every side of the intersection and traffic slowed for about a month and then it just figured itself out....the capacity was cut in half and congestion is back to normal...this should be a lesson for going forward....we have real world proof that it doesn't have to be that car dominant.

[bomberjet]

100000%.

[Kresimir]

Originally Posted by trueviking

the most interesting part of this work is that two lanes were removed from every side of the intersection and traffic slowed for about a month and then it just figured itself out....the capacity was cut in half and congestion is back to normal...this should be a lesson for going forward....we have real world proof that it doesn't have to be that car dominant.

This is going to need to be remembered when people inevitability flip at the idea of losing lanes whenever we get around to the portage section of BRT

[EndIt]

Originally Posted by pspeid

But isn't calling this opening of P & M a "cheap out" just another way to belittle what is essentially a positive development? I know this is an opinion forum and people are free to blue sky different ideas, but I think we have to keep a sense of perspective as well. For many of us opening P & M is a positive step in the regrowth of downtown. Improved aesthetics are desirable, but they can be added later. It's great to dream big, but P & M is hardly the only expense the city has to deal with. I think it's incredibly short-sighted to start slagging Gillingham (other posters, not you) for not providing something flashier at P & M when he's been the only mayor to actually get the job done and open the intersection. We often bemoan the lack of vision in our civic leaders. I wonder how many people want to do something daring or original when their own supporters eventually turn on them?

I think you're giving Gillingham a little too much credit. Opening P&M happened because it was cheaper than repairing the concourse. Its good that it happened, but if the concourse was still in good enough shape there's little so suggest that Gillingham wouldn't have kept the issue stuck firmly in feasability study hell.

[The Jabroni]

Up until now, this intersection is STILL a contentious issue among some of you.

"Should have kept it closed!"

"It's too ugly!"

"Traffic was the same!"

"My back hurts!"

Jeeze people, get a grip and move on already!!

The intersection is fine and adequate. No need to make it all pretty in one shot. All of that takes time and needs further planning. The city is on a deadline and they intended to meet that, even if it means the aesthetics are the same as every other intersection in this city!

Gotta get it functioning first. Form will come after.

[bomberjet]

The concrete is too white?? Wtf. P&M got the standard city kit for sidewalks. The banding is for people with disabilities ie: blindness. Get a grip.

This was intended to be the quick fix for the transit plan implementation. Ended up costing a pretty penny as only one contractor bid on the work.

The fancy streetscaping would happen whenever the BRT stuff gets done. And that preliminary design is supposed to happen now in 2026.

[Mr Tall Forehead]

Originally Posted by EndIt

I think you're giving Gillingham a little too much credit. Opening P&M happened because it was cheaper than repairing the concourse. Its good that it happened, but if the concourse was still in good enough shape there's little so suggest that Gillingham wouldn't have kept the issue stuck firmly in feasability study hell.

Or…imagine this…that’s how the Mayor and his comms team spun the story so that the masses of penny pinching boomers that voted no wouldn’t start griping about traffic chaos?

[Wpg_Guy]

Update on Portage and Main: Video

MD Steele Construction
Portage & Main… Nearing Completion
After 2.5 months of steady progress, we’re entering the final stages at one of Winnipeg’s busiest intersections. With the hoarding now removed, each corner of Portage & Main is taking shape.

Northwest Corner: Sidewalks are largely complete. With hoarding gone, we’ll remove the remaining concourse concrete, complete waterproofing, and install over 25 protective bollards.

Southwest Corner: Work is underway to tie into the existing building. Once waterproofing is complete, paving stones will be placed right up to the structure.

Southeast Corner: Major structural concrete work is finished. Now, we’re focused on waterproofing and rebuilding sidewalks.

Northeast Corner: Colored concrete inserts were matched to the Richardson Concourse. Final tie-ins and sidewalk restoration are close to complete.

We’ve also constructed new footings and conduit systems for street lighting and traffic signal infrastructure, including multiple 6-foot excavations.
This has been a challenging but exciting project. We appreciate the continued support from the public and project partners alike.

[ColdRain&Snow]

Thanks for the update. Exciting to see the work progressing. Hopefully they are still planning to have the intersection open by Canada Day.

[pegster]

Any chance they are going to redo the medians as part of this? The new sidewalks look great but the medians are in a real sorry state.