Winnipeg | Perimeter Highway

[Hockey]

Originally Posted by Biff

The RFP for Design Builder for the Perimeter and Hwy 3 Interchange is finally out.

Can someone remind me, is this the stage where shovels go in he ground, or is there more detailed design work still? Or both?

Also, what is the amount of time to respond to the RFP, like a couple of months?

[Biff]

This RFP for Design Builder (DB) is the contract for construction. The province looks to award this RFP by Oct. The DB then takes the provinces early preliminary designs and continues them to construction documents - with upgrades, value engineering, or other changes based on their construction expertise. It is expected that construction should start in spring 2026.

[Hockey]

Originally Posted by Biff

This RFP for Design Builder (DB) is the contract for construction. The province looks to award this RFP by Oct. The DB then takes the provinces early preliminary designs and continues them to construction documents - with upgrades, value engineering, or other changes based on their construction expertise. It is expected that construction should start in spring 2026.

^^ great answer, very clear. Thank you

[WildCake]

Anyone in the know have any info on whether the St Anne's Road is also getting pushed back as a result of the delays getting the McGillivray interchange started?

When it was first announced by the PCs, the St Anne's project was supposed to start after McGillivray wrapped up, which was estimated to 2026 or 2027:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/...ghway-interchange-construction-1.6855926

but now we'd be looking at 2029 probably.

[BorealLynx]

Speaking of the St. Anne's interchange, has it ever been confirmed whether the project would include going either over or under the nearby CP Emerson tracks? Are all options still on the table at this point, or is it a foregone conclusion that the project will include a grade separation at the tracks?

[plrh]

Originally Posted by Biff

The RFP for Design Builder for the Perimeter and Hwy 3 Interchange is finally out.

I can't find it on Merx. Is it being sent to pre-qualified candidates directly?

[optimusREIM]

I hope so. Must say that it’s getting quite frustrating when the province says we are going to start this project on this date then miss that date repeatedly. Mcgillivray should have started this year and Ste Anne’s should start next year. Alas.

[The Unknown Poster]

When is the McGill work supposed to begin?

[Biff]

Originally Posted by plrh

I can't find it on Merx. Is it being sent to pre-qualified candidates directly?

It is only to pre-qualified - Graham, Green Infrastructure Partners Inc, and PCL

[bryan_ca]

Originally Posted by BorealLynx

Speaking of the St. Anne's interchange, has it ever been confirmed whether the project would include going either over or under the nearby CP Emerson tracks? Are all options still on the table at this point, or is it a foregone conclusion that the project will include a grade separation at the tracks?

According to the plans, the freeway goes over the tracks. I don't think they'd change something like that, since an underpass may have to involve adding pumps, etc. to avoid flooding and it's near the river culvert, etc.

[/QUOTE]

[bomberjet]

Originally Posted by Biff

This RFP for Design Builder (DB) is the contract for construction. The province looks to award this RFP by Oct. The DB then takes the provinces early preliminary designs and continues them to construction documents - with upgrades, value engineering, or other changes based on their construction expertise. It is expected that construction should start in spring 2026.

By October seems very quick to award. But either way, good news this is moving ahead. We should see mobilization to site in late winter/spring based on that award date.

[KnickKnack]

Originally Posted by Carboy15

There's a Costco being built near Assiniboia Downs alongside Portage Ave. I have a bad feeling about traffic there. It will probably become another choke point like Route 90, which Highway 1 and Portage Ave itself is already a pretty busy road, connecting downtown Winnipeg and cross country traffic.

I'm pretty sure the new development will coax the province to improve infrastructure in that area. Upgrading the Perimeter @ Portage Interchange to a Parclo A4 or a Diverging Diamond would be a good first step. And hopefully the Headingley Bypass will be built.

I hope so, the amount of weaving involving heavy trucks at that intersection is already hazardous and now pile on the Costco traffic and commuters from all the new apartments in headingley, that interchange really needs a rework.

[WildCake]

The Pembina interchange on the Perimeter is now past it's capacity and the province has had to add a "Caution Slow Traffic Ahead" sign on WB Perimeter that goes on at peak times, like it used to on EB approaching the old St Mary's light controlled intersection.

I've driven the WB stretch during the evening rush twice this week and traffic has to slow down to 70-80 km/h between the Red River bridge and the interchange caused by backups from traffic weaving at the on/off ramps.

It's probably because the St Mary's bridge over the floodway is now closed for rehab until next Oct. Most of that traffic probably reroutes to the Pembina interchange to take PTH 75 south of the city rather than 59. Nevertheless, it's way past due for the ramp reconfiguration.

[CoryB]

From the south Perimeter plan I do not recall any significant changes to the Pembina interchange directly. The longer term plan seems to be to relocate a lot of the traffic to the purposed bypass. Based on HWY 2/3 being next and work quietly happening on the Portage reconfiguration and how long the similar CCW project took I would estimate changes to Pembina/the bypass to be in the 10-15 year range.

Speaking of Portage and the Perimeter it will be interesting to see how it copes with Costco opening in three weeks. It is the third busiest intersection on the Perimeter behind only McPhillips (#1) and Route 90 (#2) and almost double the traffic counts of St Marys and Pembina.

[bomberjet]

Pembina would get the same treatment as Portage Ave. I think Pembina actually had more work due to the railway overpass. I could check the plans..

[bomberjet]

Pembina is basically a full rebuild in the initial stage plans. Portage would only require mods to the roads, not the structure.

Cory curious about the comment for Portage quietly undergoing work for the conversion. Do you know something about this?

[jim_bred]

As someone who lives in Westwood and travels by the Costco daily it's already a nightmare.

[Biff]

To me, Pembina and Portage do not need any elaborate interchanges from a road to a hwy. I believe that only Hwy to Hwy requires actual cloverleaf/flyover interchanges. A simple diamond with multi-lane on/off ramps to access the Hwy work fine.

For examples, check out the 494/694 ring highways in Minneapolis. Almost every main road to Hwy grade separation is a diamond or slightly modified diamond. They have some large capacity road/highway interchanges there that would rival or be higher capacity than Portage/Pembina as well.

[bomberjet]

Ya im fine with that. It's the highway to highway stuff that should not have traffic lights. That why things like downgrading PTH 8 and PTH 101 make me unhappy. Main St/101 is being downgraded, which is fine. PTH 8 is the larger highway. Should leave as a cloverleaf.

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Cory curious about the comment for Portage quietly undergoing work for the conversion. Do you know something about this?

Not formally like some people here but on the ground observationally changes are happening that match the purposed state for the diverging diamond.

For example just off the southwest corner City of Winnipeg has a bulk water fill station for construction and similar. The design needs the access road to move slightly and in turn the water station to be rebuilt. That has happened.

The intersection lights at Race Track Rd and Camp Manitou Rd/Festival Dr were moved further out, new traffic pedestals were installed and some long term underground work has been happening with wires.

Also just south of Portage where the old access roads were removed there is major work happening on some sort of water line repair/replacement. That same area would be adding 4-5 extra lanes of road so getting that project cleared helps set the stage.

An interim state is likely going to be four lanes on the Perimeter with Portage changing to the diverging diamond at temporary points using mostly the existing ramps.

Maybe I am reading too much into things but if you look around the Perimeter the only other intersections I have seen get similar work are HWY 6 and HWY 3. HWY 6 seemed to be in large part to tweak alignment to continue into the Centreport area and HWY 3 is obviously a new construction.