The Province of Manitoba has announced that the major rehabilitation work has been completed on the Winnipeg River Bridge along Provincial Road 313.
“This bridge provides a vital transportation link to the east side of the Winnipeg River at Lac du Bonnet, giving access to residents, businesses, the mining industry, agricultural operations, cottagers and many others,” said Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler. “The feedback we received during public and stakeholder consultations helped us design a safer, wider bridge with an improved sidewalk.”
The 89-year-old bridge was constructed in 1908 as a wooden rail bridge for the Winnipeg Hydro Tramway. In the early 1930s, it was replaced with a steel bridge to accommodate highway traffic. It was modified and repaired several times in 1958, 1965 and 1994. The bridge deck was raised to accommodate rising water levels created by the McArthur Falls Generating Station and in 1963, the rail tracks were removed. The most recent rehabilitation project began in 2013 with substructure and superstructure modifications and girder fabrication.
Prior to construction, an estimated average of 3,230 vehicles per day used the bridge, with a higher estimate of 4,100 vehicles on average per day during summer months.
The final cost of the rehabilitation project is $32 million. It required 1,833 cubic metres of concrete, 172,149 kilograms of reinforcing steel and 1.6 million kilograms of structural steel and miscellaneous materials.
