Repairs to The Forks historic rail bridge could cost $10M
Repairs to the historic 110-year-old rail bridge at The Forks could come with a multi-million dollar price tag.
‘No Trespassing’ signs greet visitors hoping to take a stroll across the historic structure.
“We want it open as soon as possible. We recognize that it's a huge access point to and through our site,” said Zach Peters, the communications and marketing manager at The Forks.
The bridge, built in 1914, has been closed since June 2023 due to safety concerns.
“We're still in the process of looking for what the solutions could be,” Peters said.
But that solution may come with a hefty price tag. Peters said initial engineering reports estimate the cost to repair the bridge could be more than $10 million.
“Currently, we're doing some remediation work on the counterweight that was required. And so that's sort of the first step of the process,” he said. “In the near future, we do hope to have some kind of short-term or long-term solution figured out that we could share with the public.”
Peters said at this point there is no timeline for when the bridge may reopen.
It can’t come soon enough for Bike Winnipeg Executive Director Mark Cohoe.
“Hearing that it's a fairly sort of unknown timeline that's a bit worrisome,” Cohoe told CTV News.
Cohoe said the bridge is an important connection in the city’s active transportation network. Its closure leaves a disconnect for cyclists.
“Not having it means we're detouring,” he said.
He hopes all three levels of government will pitch in to cover the cost and get the bridge open as soon as possible.
“We have to look beyond funding this through just the city or just The Forks,” he said. “We really think it's something that the more senior levels of the government should be looking at as well.”
Peters said all levels of government are aware of the situation; however, he noted The Forks hasn’t put in an official request for the $10 million project.
“Because we don't know if that's going to be the exact number. If there's a less expensive short-term fix, maybe that's the direction we go,” he said.
In the meantime, Peters said The Forks has heard the concerns from the cycling community.
“It's not, unfortunately, a solution we have yet, and so we're still trying to figure that out,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Israel launches strikes on military targets in Iran, escalating Mideast wars
Israel launched airstrikes early Saturday on what it described as military targets in Iran in retaliation for a ballistic missile assault Oct. 1, officials said. There was no immediate information on damage in the Islamic Republic.
DEVELOPING Scotiabank confirms outage for mobile, online banking
Scotiabank has confirmed outages affecting mobile and online banking services, according to a statement published to its X account.
'I did everything I could': Canada Post driver recounts helping save woman from fiery Tesla crash
Canada Post driver Rick Harper recounts how he and others helped save a woman from a Tesla that caught fire after crashing into a guardrail on Lake Shore Boulevard.
An abrupt goodbye to a guerilla goldfish aquarium beneath a leaky Brooklyn fire hydrant
A makeshift aquarium that popped up this summer in a puddle beneath a leaky fire hydrant in New York City has been paved over, to the dismay of neighbours who turned the area into a hangout spot and goldfish shrine.
Climate change breaks heat records across Canada this summer
Human-caused climate change made almost all of Canada’s heat waves hotter and more likely, Environment and Climate Change Canada said in an announcement Friday.
Mother who beat and starved her 5-year-old son to death sentenced to over 50 years in prison
A New Hampshire woman was sentenced Friday to 53 years to life in prison in the death of her 5-year-old son, who was beaten, starved and exposed to drugs before his 19-pound body was found buried in a Massachusetts park in 2021.
'Get away from your inner circle': Liberal MP 'shocked' PM didn't take more time to reflect on calls to resign
Longtime Liberal MP Wayne Long says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should give more weight to the views of his backbenchers in determining his future leading the Party, rather than relying on those in his immediate orbit.
Mom and child jumped from a window to escape a Las Vegas fire that killed 2 children and 2 adults
Two adults and two children were found dead in the charred rubble of a house fire after a mother and another child jumped from a third-floor window to escape flames in a southwest Las Vegas neighborhood, authorities said.
Russian actors made fake video depicting mail-in ballots for Trump being destroyed, FBI says
Russian actors made a widely circulated video falsely depicting mail-in ballots for Donald Trump being destroyed in Pennsylvania, U.S. officials said Friday.