Winnipeg Roads & Infrastructure

[wags_in_the_peg]

great that this is being built, but at the same time sad as we have so many other existing intersections with lights along that route.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by Biff

It's nice to see them finally using MSE walls here in the Province. It gives me a little hope that with more experience in the industry we can start to see grade separations in more areas with tight space requirements........not every grade separation needs to be a massive cloverleaf taking up acres of land.

Just for those not familiar - MSE Wall - Mechanically Stabilized Earth - soil constructed with artificial reinforcing.

MSE was also used in the Chief Peguis underpass at Rothesay because of the poor soil and small area for the approaches.

[Cyro]

Originally Posted by cllew

MSE was also used in the Chief Peguis underpass at Rothesay because of the poor soil and small area for the approaches.

The practicallity for this method of construction in regards to Manitoba's soil conditions seems like a prudent move.

Is the use more cost effective, as it appears it can be implemented and designed with a smaller surface area in mind?

[Biff]

Originally Posted by cllew

MSE was also used in the Chief Peguis underpass at Rothesay because of the poor soil and small area for the approaches.

Yes, the only thing is they apparently had a bitch of a time with those approaches.

[bomberjet]

The main thing with MSE walls is cost vs. conventional concrete retaining walls. It makes projects feasible where they would otherwise need expensive concrete retaining walls.

[Danny D Oh]

Originally Posted by esquire

Not the worst thing in the world IMO if Lowe's changing plans ended up setting back the creation of more power centres in this city...

Agreed.

It would be nice to see some of the decaying areas of Regent east of Peguis see some sort of development, other than being part of a casino expansion.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by Danny D Oh

Agreed.

It would be nice to see some of the decaying areas of Regent east of Peguis see some sort of development, other than being part of a casino expansion.

About the only land the MGLC (Manitoba Gaming & Liquor corp) does not own in that area is on the south side where the Esso and recently demolished strip mall was.

It would be nice to see something go in the empty Catelli/Uncle Bens brewery/Coldstream building on the north side. It is a big building (with rail service) so I don't know who would really fit in there.

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by Biff

It's nice to see them finally using MSE walls here in the Province. It gives me a little hope that with more experience in the industry we can start to see grade separations in more areas with tight space requirements........not every grade separation needs to be a massive cloverleaf taking up acres of land.

Just for those not familiar - MSE Wall - Mechanically Stabilized Earth - soil constructed with artificial reinforcing.

Was MSE also used in the CentrePort overpasses? I am not an expert but think they did some metal rod grid behind the concrete panels. I remember looking at it and thinking it seemed like an odd way of supporting the structure and that it was maybe temporarily due to the extra road needed to bypass the construction site.

[bomberjet]

CCW used MSE walls extensively.

The bridge abutments aren't constructed using a typical approach, as all the old overpasses in Winnipeg are. You'll notice instead of a large concrete foundation, with the sloped embankment at the end; it's a straight vertical face intermediately adjacent to the road.

The abutments are piled using steel columns, with the MSE wall wrapping around the end of the exposed piles and embankment under the bridge. There is then what's called a roof slab installed to bridge the gap between the top of piled abutment and the ground approaching the bridge. You basically eliminate one bridge span on either end of the bridge. With cheaper retaining walls, instead of full blown concrete.

Edit: Come to think of it, the way I described is how the Kenaston Bishop overpass is being built. For the CCW overpasses, the MSE wall goes behind the abutment. With the roof slab spanning the gaps between. The abutment was built with a more conventional pier type design. With nice finished concrete faces. Kenaston/Bishop abutment was plain old exposed steel piles.

[bomberjet]

http://winnipeg.ca/cao/media/news/nr...20140623.stm#4

Priorities Identified for Building Canada Funding

City recommends six major projects be addressed through joint intergovernmental funding program

Released: 3:05 p.m.

Winnipeg, June 23rd, 2014 – To address Winnipeg’s ballooning $7.4 billion infrastructure deficit and ensure major civic projects are completed with the assistance of joint intergovernmental funding, Executive Policy Committee will consider a motion on Wednesday identifying six infrastructure projects as City of Winnipeg priorities for intergovernmental funding through the Building Canada Fund (Major Projects component). The projects identified to be endorsed by Council as priorities are:

Waverley Street Underpass
Marion Street Widening/Grade Separation and Improvements from Archibald Street to Lagimodiere Boulevard
Chief Peguis Trail Extension from Main Street to Route 90
Louise Bridge Replacement
William R. Clement Parkway Extension from Grant Avenue to Wilkes Avenue
Widening of Kenaston Boulevard (Route 90) from Ness Avenue to Taylor Avenue

Visit the Building Canada Fund for more information.


If the CoW is going to the Feds on these projects (I guess they do on a lot of projects), but they should be building the interchanges. Get some real dollars and build these things properly already. Especially Chief, Kensaton and Bill Clement.

Looking into the building Canada thing, Manitoba is set to receive $340M over the next 10 years from the $10.4B Provincial/Territorial fund. Thats a fixed price based on a base value of $250M and a per capita value making up the rest. The $4B National Importance fund is to be divied up to projects of national importance. Go figure. I would assume Manitoba would receive a similar percentage as the other fund, but that's just an assumption. So in conclusion, Manitoba will continue to be raked over the coals once again. Looking at maybe $40M per year in federal dollars.

There's also the P3 Canada fund, which it says has a value of $1.25B. I'm assuming again. But if the Transitway funding goes through for the $150M, that would be about all we would be getting from that P3 fund. Unless that's $1.5B per year.

[roccerfeller]

These are all good priorities and will add significant infrastructure to Winnipeg, but there needs to be more done. Agree with what u said, bomberjet

Hopefully epc approves these

[Riverman]

Will the Louise replacement include a realignment?

[bomberjet]

Originally Posted by Riverman

Will the Louise replacement include a realignment?

It's going to be really interesting to see what happens with the Louise Bridge. I'm thinking this will be the next project after Waverley and the Marion thing. Timelines work out perfectly with the eastern transitway study coming over the next year. There's been talk of realigning to come off Archibald instead of Nairn, as a multi-modal bridge with the Eastern Trasnitway. That's be floating around for decades I believe.

It seems to me that it would be better traffic flow wise to come off Archibald. But I'm not exactly sure how it would work with the underpass and overpass on Archibald, rail bridge over the river, and the Nairn overpass being right there.

Probably would be an intersection on Archibald between the two rail bridges, with the new route running through that old industry dump and connection back onto higgins. Having an intersection at the end of that bridge probably wouldn't be the best for traffic flow. So it'll be interesting to see what would happen.

The pie in the sky in me says come straight off the Nairn overpass with a cable stay bridge spanning everything and connecting to Higgins. Kind of overkill though.

On the transitway front. I think it would be better using the allowance banked in St. Boniface, on the north side of the CN main track. Transitway through Point Douglas doesn't really work for me. Getting from Union Station through the Waterfront area will be really difficult. It could save on bridge costs having one instead of two separate bridges at different locations.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by Riverman

Will the Louise replacement include a realignment?

Its all being studied, no final plans yet. Not sure if the LaSalle hotel is a historic building or not. If so that could change the way the new one is aligned.

[bomberjet]

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/loc...264294881.html

EPC to consider projects for federal funding

By: Bartley Kives
Posted: 3:40 PM

The City of Winnipeg is poised to endorse six road-and-bridge construction projects as candidates for new federal infrastructure funding.

At a special meeting of council’s executive policy committee on Wednesday moprning, Mayor Sam Katz and his EPC colleagues will consider a plan to endorse the following six projects for cash emanating from a new version of Ottawa’s Building Canada Fund:

The Waverley Street underpass

Marion Street widening and grade separation, which would involve improvements from Archibald Street to Lagimodiere Boulevard

A western extension of Chief Peguis Trail from Main Street to Route 90
The replacement of the Louise Bridge

A southern extension of the William R. Clement Parkway from Grant Avenue to Wilkes Avenue

The widening of Kenaston Boulevard and Route 90 from Ness Avenue to Taylor Avenue

In 2011, the city’s Transportation Master Plan pegged the cost of the Chief Peguis extension at $130 million, the Clement Parkway extension at $60 million and the Marion improvements at no less than $70 million.

City budget documents have pegged the cost of a new Louise Bridge at no less than $100 million, but that cost would be greater if they chose a new alignment that would connect Higgins Avenue directly with Nairn Avenue.

The Kenaston widening is estimated to be $265 million. There is no cost estimate available for the Waverley Underpass.

If approved by EPC, the list will move on to city council on Wednesday.


$265M for Kenaston Widening?@! It includes rehab/reconstruction of the St. James Bridge. But $265M for a 6 lane roadway with traffic lights. That cost better include something more than what was put forward here (direct link to PDF). It's a lot of houses being bought up, roadways, etc. But my lord...

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by Riverman

Will the Louise replacement include a realignment?

Higgins-Nairn looks pretty easy to do with not a lot of properties for the city to buy up, a junk-yard at the tip of Point Douglas and low grade industrial properties on the east side of the river towards Nairn, nothing a few million bucks and a bulldozer couldn't clean up!

[cllew]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

Higgins-Nairn looks pretty easy to do with not a lot of properties for the city to buy up, a junk-yard at the tip of Point Douglas and low grade industrial properties on the east side of the river towards Nairn, nothing a few million bucks and a bulldozer couldn't clean up!

I was sort of thinking the same thing about why the owner of Gateway Industries is hanging on. Probably hoping the city will buy / expropriate his holdings for the new right of way.

[Reignman]

$130 cost estimate for the CPT extension effectively eliminates any interchanges or grade separations at all.

[Biff]

Originally Posted by Reignman

$130 cost estimate for the CPT extension effectively eliminates any interchanges or grade separations at all.

Diamonds on greenfield sites are pretty inexpensive.

[Reignman]

Originally Posted by Biff

Diamonds on greenfield sites are pretty inexpensive.

Not disagreeing with that Biff...but look at the distance between Main and Route 90. Four divided lanes of brand new expressway with paved shoulders...even $130 mil seems low to me just to cover that, nevermind a diamond or two mixed in. Maybe the city has allocated more money to this planned extension since the original estimate...gawd I hope so.