First Street bridge construction to finish this fall

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This article was published 26/07/2019 (2648 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Work on the First Street bridge is scheduled to finally wrap up later this year when the province is set to build a new intersection with Pacific Avenue.

In August 2017, The Sun reported that work to reconstruct First Street’s intersection with Pacific Avenue was slated to be completed in the summer of 2018. Despite this, Pacific Avenue currently ends just after Second Street and the two roads are still not connected.

The First Street bridge was replaced in 2017 after an engineering analysis discovered structural issues in the old bridge. The cost of the project was around $50 million.

While the bridge opened to traffic in 2017, the entire project is not complete. A spokesperson for Manitoba Infrastructure said in an email rebuilding the intersection was part of the original scope of work, but was not included in the initial contract.

“Manitoba Infrastructure continues to work with the City of Brandon on the (Pacific Avenue) alignment project,” the spokesperson said.

The sidewalk on the west side of the bridge is also not complete. Currently, it stops suddenly on the south side of the bridge and drops onto a slanted dirt pathway. Completing the sidewalk is included in the contract for paving and the realignment of Pacific Avenue, according to the statement from Manitoba Infrastructure.

The province is also working with the contractor to replace the grass around the bridge, which is under warranty, according to the statement.

A tender for the intersection realignment and paving is scheduled to go out “in the next week” and construction to be finished in the fall, weather permitting.

A full intersection between First Street and Pacific Avenue existed before the First Street Bridge was replaced. The replacement bridge is higher than the old bridge, so the intersection was removed at the time.

There are currently construction vehicles parked on Pacific Avenue, near the bridge, but City of Brandon manager of infrastructure Aaron Kaluzniak said they are being used to replace the water main on Second Street. The City of Brandon is working to replace the water main before the province starts work on the intersection later this year.

“We wanted to get in there and do our work first, so all the underground work and water main is complete before they build that road — so we can avoid digging up the freshly paved road,” he said.

Coun. Kris Desjarlais (Rosser), who represents the area, said he wasn’t sure why the work to connect the bridge and Pacific Avenue had been delayed but said the expectation is that work will start later this year.

“They’re still anticipating for the work to be completed in 2019. I’m not all that optimistic that it will be done for this year but hopefully, by next spring or next summer, it will be complete, at least that’s my best guess.”

Work to replace Brandon’s other bridge to the north end is also seeing progress. In June, the preferred design for the Daly Overpass was released and construction is anticipated to begin in spring 2021.

» dmay@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @DrewMay_