Ailing Arlington Bridge closing indefinitely

A 121-year-old bridge in Winnipeg may have seen its final passengers on it.

The City of Winnipeg announced Tuesday that it is closing Arlington Bridge to all traffic immediately. The closure is indefinite, the city says, and dependent on the results of a city assessment.

“In 2016, engineers identified the bridge as nearing the end of its lifespan and undertook the Better Bridge for Arlington Study,” the city said in a news release. “The study resulted in a preliminary design for a new bridge, which was in 2019 approved by City Council for future consideration and placed on a list of unfunded capital projects.”

The bridge has been closed annually over the years for maintenance. This year, the city issued a contract for a study to determine if long-term rehabilitation is possible or if the bridge should be decommissioned.

The study showed steel corrosion has sped up in recent years and is widespread. The city says the corrosion has progressed to the point where “it is no long viable to make annual reactive safety repairs.”

Arlington Bridge in Winnipeg is closing indefinitely to traffic following a study that showed steel corrosion on the bridge had been accelerating in recent years. (Image source: Glenn Pismenny/CTV News Winnipeg)

Vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians, scooters and all other modes of transportation are now required to detour across the rail yards via either the McPhillips Street Underpass or the Slaw Rebchuk Bridge on Salter Street.

The city adds drivers are encouraged to get onto the routes as soon as possible to avoid bottlenecks at Logan Avenue and Dufferin Avenue.

The study will continue, and depending on the results, the bridge will either be decommissioned and removed or long-term rehabilitation work will take place.

Repairs will still take place to ensure the safety of people in the railyards below the bridge.