Connecting the Churchill Pathway, the Hay St Neighbourhood Greenway, Kingston Row, the Dunkirk Pathway, and the Niakwa Pathway, the St. Vital Bridge over the Red River and the tunnels at its north and south ends are scheduled for a major rehabilitation in 2024 and 2025. Preliminary design for the rehabilitation work is scheduled for 2022, with detailed design scheduled for 2023.
Included in the work will be marginal bridge widening to better accommodate pedestrian and cycling requirements.
At present,the only accommodation for people traveling across the bridge on bikes are 1m shy-lanes between the travel lanes and the barriers for the sidewalks. Not surprisingly, many people biking across the bridge choose to ride over the Red River in the sidewalks, not the shy-lanes. Connections from the southern tunnel to Kingston Row and across the on/off ramps for KIngston Row are also absent, as are connections to the northern tunnel from Montgomery Ave.
Within the Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies, a potential site for a new walk/bike bridge over the Red River has been identified between vacant parklands just west of the Winnipeg Canoe Club and the the grounds of the Wildwood Park Community Centre on the west side of the Red River. While not a high priority for construction at this point, a walk/bike bridge at this location would connect the Niakwa and Dunkirk Pathways to the Oakenwald/McGillivray Pathways.
Summary of Recommendations
We recommend that design studies and subsequent rehabilitation work on the St. Vital Bridge include the following:
- Improved Accommodation of Walking and Cycling on the bridge, including shared use pathways on both the east and west sides of the bridge with transitions between the roadway and pathways at the north and south ends of the bridge;
- Extension of the Dunkirk/Niakwa Pathway across the Kingston Row on/off ramps at the southern end of the bridge;
- A Paved Pathway Connection of between Cunnington Ave and the Dunkirk/Niakwa Pathway at the southern end of the bridge;
- A Paved Pathway Connection from Dunkirk Pl to the west side of the southern walk/bike tunnel to provide a connection between the Dunkirk/Niakwa Pathways and the Elm Park Walk/Bike Bridge that avoids the Kingston Row Underpass;
- A Pathway Connection from the Northern end of the bridge to Montgomery Avenue;
- Improved Lighting in both the north and south walk/bike tunnels;
- Improve sight lines through both the north and south walk/bike tunnels;
- Any property easements needed for a future walk/bike bridge between the vacant park located located west of the Winnipeg Canoe Club and the Wildwood Park Community Centre grounds on the west side of the Red River.
More Information
- St. Vital Bridge Rehabilitation Capital Project (City of Winnipeg)