Perimeter Highway | Winnipeg

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by anthonyk

I am twenty! by the time I'm 80 maybe they will have a grade separation at Oak Bluff and the Arlington bridge replacement will be under construction, or am I being too ambitious for Manitoba?

Those things will almost certainly happen before then, but the glacial pace of basically everything here is a hard slog

[Wpgstvsouth94]

Hi all, I was at the light at st Anne’s and the perimeter about a week ago. The province was setting up cameras on the light posts to watch traffic numbers I would assume? There was province of Manitoba trucks parked for hours observing traffic as well. I’m thinking they are going to announce something about the interchanges around there in the coming months.

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by Wpgstvsouth94

Hi all, I was at the light at st Anne’s and the perimeter about a week ago. The province was setting up cameras on the light posts to watch traffic numbers I would assume? There was province of Manitoba trucks parked for hours observing traffic as well. I’m thinking they are going to announce something about the interchanges around there in the coming months.

Aren't traffic counts normally done by laying or embedding counter tubes (no idea what the real name is) across the road? The camera is probably a safety and/or revenue addition. Does MB have a 511 system?

[CoryB]

Re traffic counts v traffic studies.

Traffic counts are normally done around mid block to see the number of vehicles past a certain point in the road.

A traffic study is normally done around a major intersection to record not just the count of traffic but the flows of traffic. It used to be fairly common to see the outhouse on a trailer with a window parked around doing these. I suspect that camera described above has replaced the trailer and the person doing the count is at a desk somewhere watching the webcam now.

[bomberjet]

The Province has cameras spread around to observe conditions in general. Not necessarily counting vehicles. They can be viewed on a website somewhere.

[plrh]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

The Province has cameras spread around to observe conditions in general. Not necessarily counting vehicles. They can be viewed on a website somewhere.

https://www.manitoba511.ca/en/map.ht...l=85&lb=1&rb=1

I just used it this morning driving out to Morris. Click on the little camera icons to see with your own eyes.

[OTA in Winnipeg]

Originally Posted by plrh

https://www.manitoba511.ca/en/map.ht...l=85&lb=1&rb=1

I just used it this morning driving out to Morris. Click on the little camera icons to see with your own eyes.

Here's more.

https://www.caamanitoba.com/auto/road-cameras

[OTA in Winnipeg]

Originally Posted by Corndogger

Aren't traffic counts normally done by laying or embedding counter tubes (no idea what the real name is) across the road? The camera is probably a safety and/or revenue addition. Does MB have a 511 system?

Yes. See above listed on CAA site.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by Corndogger

Aren't traffic counts normally done by laying or embedding counter tubes (no idea what the real name is) across the road? The camera is probably a safety and/or revenue addition. Does MB have a 511 system?

I don't know if they are still in use but some of the camera's on the poles were just to see if there was an image in its view to trigger left turn signals or on low volume streets to trigger a green light for traffic to access the higher volume street.

[Wpgstvsouth94]

Does anyone know when they are starting the construction the service road bridge at the seine river/ st Anne’s rd and the perimeter? I figured I’d ask because some of you guys have more inside information. :b

[plrh]

^I would guess pretty soon. The bridge is to be completed by March 31, 2021.
The bridge girders are supplied by MI and already made.

[Biff]

I believe it was awarded, or at least the low bidder was determined. It was around $800k or so. Should start soon.

[Wpgstvsouth94]

Awesome! Thanks guys.

[Dengler Avenue]

$.8 m for a bridge? Is that cheap or nah?

[WildCake]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

$.8 m for a bridge? Is that cheap or nah?

It's just a small bridge for the service over the seine river, which is about 5m wide.

[Dengler Avenue]

Oh wow it’s just a small river.

[bomberjet]

Girders are supplied by MI. So takes the most expensive part out of the equation.

https://www.merx.com/mbgov/manitobai...981/0000187980

MD Steele low bid at $898k. Marwest high bid at $1.8 mil.

I think when they rank the bids on MERX, it means they've chosen the bid with the #1. Which is not necessarily the low bid.

[plrh]

Awarding takes a few weeks or months depending on the size of the job. The award date is usually private between the owner and the selected bidder. Often there is a negotiation between the owner and the low bidder as to how much of the job will be awarded. If the job is over budget, they may want to remove some scope to put the job back on budget. There is usually a section in the specs giving a rough estimate as to how quickly the job will be awarded.

Sometimes contractors get surprise awards. Tender evaluation is not open to the public. Bidders are frequently disqualified on technicalities. Important technicalities like insurance and bonding. Or math errors.

[bomberjet]

I do a lot of work, most of my work, with large public companies. They'll often release tenders for many millions knowing that the final number will change. You get the unit rates or whatever info you need and can adjust the project to suit. Scope is also not often 100% defined in those cases.

[plrh]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

I do a lot of work, most of my work, with large public companies. They'll often release tenders for many millions knowing that the final number will change. You get the unit rates or whatever info you need and can adjust the project to suit. Scope is also not often 100% defined in those cases.

Unit rates can be scary because often there are fixed costs built into them. If those units are diminished by a lot the contractor could lose money. Or it might wreck a season's schedule by freeing up crews after all the work has been tendered. Most jobs tend to be overstated by 10-15%. There is a nice simplicity to unit rates if tendered quantities are realistic. I am only speaking about local civil construction jobs. I guess I am trying to say that it is hard to account for all possible economies of scale in one unit rate and still be competitive.