Plans for new Arlington Street Bridge kicked down road

The Arlington Street Bridge was supposed to be decommissioned in 2020 and replaced with a three-lane structure, but now it appears a new bridge is far down the road.

The plans for a new bridge were based on a 2019 functional design to improve traffic flow.

“Of course I want a new bridge,” said City Councillor Vivian Santos. “We did a study to prove that we need a new bridge.”

The 2023 city budget, released this week, contains an $850,000 feasibility study for the bridge.

It will determine what upgrades are needed to rehabilitate the structure instead so it can continue to remain open for a minimum of 25 years, or until other nearby crossings can be improved, or when the city can find the estimated $330 million to build a new one.

On budget day Wednesday, Mayor Scott Gillingham was asked if the city has the money.

“Not right now,” said Gillingham. “We do not have the money for a new Arlington Street Bridge right now.”

The Mayor has made his big-ticket infrastructure priorities clear, widening Kenaston Boulevard and extending Chief Peguis Trail. He said they are key trade corridors for economic growth.

“A budget is a priorities document, it’s a document of choices,” he said.

The current bridge can’t handle transit buses and is not a truck route.

Manitoba Trucking Association President Aaron Dolyniuk said a new Arlington structure would have little impact on truckers, compared to improvements to Chief Peguis and Kenaston Boulevard.

“Chief Peguis and Kenaston are probably the two largest bottlenecks we see in our city right now,” said Dolyniuk.

Santos is happy the city wants to keep the bridge open.

“It’s still a major corridor for many of the residents who work at HSC, who come to Downtown,” said Santos.

However, she said she was blindsided by the feasibility study in the budget and is concerned it could come back with a plan that removes vehicles from the equation.

“Are they going to state that maybe instead of cars go over there, it’s just going to be pedestrians and cyclists?” said Santos.

The budget document does say while a rehabilitation will not improve the level of service on the bridge like a full replacement, there could be some minor improvements.