Future of Arlington Bridge still uncertain

WINNIPEG – Every day around 15,000 vehicles pass over the Arlington Bridge and each one wears the structure down a little more.

Starting Monday, the bridge will close until the end of August so crews can do repairs to the deck overlay, structural steel and maintenance work.

A recent city report found the bridge is in such poor shape that it will only last until 2020.

This latest round of construction costs $350,000.

That’s why one city councillor wants to find a replacement soon so good money isn’t spent on band-aid solutions.

“We shouldn’t have to spend $300,000 every year,” said Mike Pagtakhan, councillor for Point Douglas. “Let’s start investing now so we don’t have to waste the money.”

The mayor wants to see a solution too, but says it isn’t an immediate priority.

“You have to identify the funding and right now the funding isn’t there,” said Sam Katz.

An engineering consultant will be called in later this year to find out what should be done when the bridge’s time is up.

“It’s important to keep it safe at this time,” said Brad Neirinck, the city’s bridge planning and operations engineer. “We’ll have to determine the extent of what the replacement and whether or not that will actually go forward and what we will do in the future, but that study needs to take place first.”

Neirinck says the study will start this fall and take around a year.