September 17, 2021
Province Releases Results From Public Engagement on Improvements to Bridge on PR 305 in Ste. Agathe
– – –Feedback to Improve Louis Riel Bridge in Ste. Agathe: Schuler
The Manitoba government has released feedback from the public engagement on EngageMB for improvementsto the Louis Riel Bridge on Provincial Road (PR) 305 in Ste. Agathe, Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler announced today.
“The existing bridge was built in 1959 and serves as a vital link to Provincial Trunk Highway (PTH) 75 that helps connect people, businesses and agricultural land on both sides of the Red River,” said Schuler. “Our government has committed to investing in infrastructure across the province, and we wanted to hear from Manitobans to better understand the effects of this project and to gather feedback from the affected surrounding communities.”
Two design alternatives and traffic management strategies were presented, along with the online public engagements for public feedback regarding the two alternatives.
The first alternative presented would require a bridge closure and would see the replacement of the entire bridge deck and railings, wider lanes and sidewalks, and an increase in the load carrying capacity of the bridge. This option would require single-lane closures and approximately 16 weeks of full bridge closure over the one–and-a-half-year construction period.
The second alternative proposed would require the replacement of the entire bridge deck, girders and railings, and an increase in the load-carrying capacity of the bridge, a wider total roadway width and a new separated sidewalk. This proposed alternative would require approximately two years of construction work, with a minimum of one lane open at all times.
Over 200 responses were received, of which 75 per cent live in or near Ste. Agathe. Of the respondents, 51 per cent indicated the first alternative would have more of a negative impact on their travel patterns than the second alternative and 68 per cent indicated the wider roadway and separated sidewalk in the second alternative would have a positive impact on pedestrian and cyclist safety.
The results of the public and stakeholder engagement will be considered to determine the preferred design alternative. A final decision on the bridge design is anticipated to be released winter 2021-22.
Results from the EngageMB public engagement can be found at https://engagemb.ca/red-river-bridge-pr-305.
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