Winnipeg mayor asks for patience ahead of Portage and Main construction

Winnipeg's mayor is asking for patience from motorists during anticipated traffic delays at Portage and Main, as work begins to reopen the famed intersection.

According to the City of Winnipeg, sections of both roads’ curb and median lanes will be closed intermittently over the next four weeks as part of the pre-construction work.

These preparations will allow for major construction work to begin in mid-November.

"This will be short-term disruptions for the work that needs to be done," Mayor Scott Gillingham told reporters at Winnipeg City Hall on Tuesday.

"This is one of the reasons that I supported opening the intersection at grade rather than five years of construction delays at the intersection to repair the membrane."

In March, city council voted in favour of reopening Portage and Main to pedestrians. Mayor Scott Gillingham pushed to open the intersection for the first time since 1979 instead of footing the $73 million bill to fix a failing membrane protecting the underground concourse below.

Construction work at the intersection will include:

• Demolishing the barrier walls.
• Installing new traffic signals and streetlights.
• Adding a curb extension to the southeast corner.
• Repairing existing medians.
• Installing new curbs and sidewalks.

Work is expected to be completed in June 2025.

Meanwhile, Downtown Winnipeg BIZ CEO Kate Fenske told CTV News Winnipeg the organization is excited for the iconic intersection to reopen to pedestrians next summer.

"More street-level activity increases vibrancy and safety downtown and we look forward to seeing this project become a reality in 2025," she said in an e-mailed statement.

The city said it will provide construction staging details and traffic impacts before the start of construction next month.

More information can be found online.

- With files from CTV's Kayla Rosen and Michelle Gerwing