The City of Winnipeg has $157 million worth of road construction projects planned for the 2026 construction season.
One of the most significant is the completion of the $30.5-million rehabilitation of the Pembina Highway overpass at Abinojii Mikanah. It began last summer, with the focus this year being on the northbound lanes.
There’s also $8 million of work planned for downtown.
One road work project that was supposed to wrap up last year is on Portage Avenue between Sturgeon Road and Cavalier Drive. The city says that was pushed off because of the amount of rain Winnipeg saw last summer. It caused challenges for businesses on that stretch, who are now figuring out how they’ll manage another season of construction they weren’t planning on.
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“I think most people found us, but it’s definitely more frustrating for them,” explains Roberty Johnson, the owner of D Jay’s Restaurant.
“A lot of days they didn’t have the opportunity to work, but there were other days when they could’ve been here and nobody was on site.”
Coun. Janice Lukes, who chairs the Public Works Committee, recognizes the challenges but says keeping up to city’s roads is vital.
“It’s a lot of work going on, it is the season coming upon us. We have to fix the road, and if the road is in front of the business, well, we just have to fix the road,” Lukes said.
Global’s Vasilios Bellos has more in the video above about the challenges construction creates for businesses, and some of the major projects Winnipeggers can expect this summer.
Lukes has no business in charge of anything, she is making a mess and a mockery of this city
It wouldn’t be necessary though if they had kept up with road repairs in the first place, instead of wasting millions of our tax dollars on useless projects that only benefit a minute portion of the population.
As the city of Winnipeg has almost $160 million planned for road construction for 2026 has many debating on how much is spent to compensate affected business owners for the street and sidewalk ripped up for sewer and water main renewal.