Daly Overpass construction will begin in November

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/11/2020 (1973 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After years of planning, Manitoba Infrastructure is finally moving ahead with its plans to revamp Brandon’s Daly Overpass, with construction set to kick off sometime this month.

According to a Friday morning news release from Manitoba Infrastructure, on-site project work will begin in November to expand the existing three-lane bridge into a four-lane structure, with a separate pedestrian bridge to enhance traffic flow.

The $65 million project will also include new on and off ramps to connect 18th Street with Pacific Avenue, some new pathways, sidewalk and pavement upgrades along the route.

Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler announced in Friday’s release that this project has been a long time coming since the current Daly Overpass is more than 50 years old and no longer meets the needs of Brandon and the broader Westman community.

“Due to the growth in the region and the importance of (Provincial Trunk Highway 10) as a major route, the current Daly Overpass has created an undesirable bottleneck system for motorists and pedestrians,” he said. “We are pleased to have a strong working relationship with the City of Brandon on the construction of this project.”

A more detailed construction outline released on Manitoba Infrastructure’s website revealed that work is expected to run until October 2023, with the first major traffic changes set to occur around May 2021.

While there is still lots of work to do, Brandon Mayor Rick Chrest told the Sun on Friday that it was a relief to finally hear that the Daly Overpass project is moving forward.

After all, the idea of expanding the bridge has been kicking around since 2013, with the provincial government promising to upgrade the aging structure during that year’s throne speech.

However, Chrest said this project has been hampered by delays since then, including a couple of years ago when Brandon’s First Street Bridge required more immediate action from the province.

“So they had to move their attention and resources at the time to the First Street Bridge, which is now all done and turned out very well,” he said. “Now that that’s done they’re getting the 18th Street Daily Overpass back on track.”

Of course, this three-year construction project won’t be without sacrifices.

The province also announced on Friday that this expansion would include a demolition phase starting in December, where the Kullberg’s building will be torn down to make way for the incoming expansion.

This structure, also known as the International Harvester Building, was originally built in 1911 to serve as a warehouse and showroom for International Harvester’s agricultural products.

The building was later used as a wholesale distribution warehouse, cold storage plant, goose- and duck-processing plant, and most recently a storage warehouse for Kullberg’s Furniture and Appliances.

Kullberg’s owner Richard Kullberg told the Sun on Friday that his team is already in the process of moving their inventory to a temporary storage site at 34th Street and Victoria Avenue.

News of the building’s demolition didn’t come as a surprise to Kullberg, since the province had already expropriated his land back in June.

“Although, we’ve had an idea that this was happening for the last three-and-a-half years, because (the province) has been in discussions with all of the affected parties,” he said.

Manitoba Historical Society president Gordon Goldsborough was sad to hear that such an old heritage site will be torn down for the overpass project, although he definitely saw it coming.

Earlier this year, Goldsborough included this building on the society’s “Top-10 Endangered Structures” list for 2020, believing that Brandon isn’t known for its creativity when it comes to preserving old historical sites.

“There doesn’t seem to be the same awareness of heritage in Brandon as there is in other places,” he said. “I think that’s why Brandon doesn’t have as many old buildings as some other cities, because the tendency is to say ‘if it’s old, it’s bad. Build something new.’”

However, Chrest later told the Sun that he and other members of Brandon city council have been discussing the possibility of setting up some kind of monument to commemorate this historic site after it’s been torn down.

“There’s been some talk about maybe reclaiming some of the bricks in order to do something with that,” he said.

But Kullberg isn’t the only person that’s going to be affected by the ongoing construction.

Brandon West MLA Reg Helwer said a lot of local business owners situated at the south end of the bridge, around the Pacific Plaza, will have to move to make way for the upcoming project.

This exodus includes also Helwer and his staff since their office is located less than 200 metres away from the overpass.

“But we’re working through that and it’s good to see that (this project) is finally happening,” he said.

However, Advance Auto Body & Glass owner Trevor Kindrat is still allowed to operate out of his current location just west of the bridge, even though the ongoing construction will present a challenge over the next three years.

“Obviously, access is going to be a bit of an issue for us,” he said. “But we have plans in place to pick up customers’ vehicles and do whatever we need to do to ensure they’re looked after.”

And while the next three years of construction will result in some traffic congestion, Chrest maintains that this expansion getting underway is a good news story, and highlights the province’s ability to balance several major projects during unprecedented times.

“In government, we have to know how to walk and chew gum at the same time,” he said. “So while everyone is battling this pandemic, life still goes on and work needs to continue.”

The Daly Overpass was originally built in 1963 and was named after Brandon’s very first mayor, Thomas Mayne Daly.

Manitoba Infrastructure said it will continue to provide project updates to the public and the City of Brandon throughout this lengthy expansion period.

For a more lengthy breakdown of the Daly Overpass project, visit: www.gov.mb.ca/mit/wms/structures/construction.html.

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