WINNIPEG — You may be able to cross Portage and Main on foot by next summer.
Mayor Brian Bowman said talks with the property owners at the corners of the intersection are going well. They hold the power to open it or keep it closed.
“We are having good discussions with the property owners. My hope and expectation is we’ll be able to open that in advance of the 2017 Canada Summer Games. But we’ve got a lot of work to do,” he said.
Bowman took a troop of other big city mayors for a walk downtown Thursday night.
“There was unanimity from all that were walking with us that it’s ridiculous in this day and age when you have so much positive growth going on around that intersection to not open it up to pedestrians,” he said.
He says they can’t understand know why you need to go underground.
Bowman said Calgary’s mayor, Naheed Nenshi had some trouble navigating through the tunnels on his own.
“Nenshi.” he chuckled. “Nenshi got lost trying to cross, so he went down to the tunnels. He said he was 1,000 per cent lost and really struggled to find his way to the surface,” he said.
The famous intersection has been closed to foot traffic for 37 years, part of a 40 year contract signed when shop owners agreed to move underground.
WATCH: The city taking steps forward to reopen Portage and Main
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