$10M Taché promenade construction to be completed in October

Winnipeg’s Taché Promenade is a little over a month away from opening up to the public.

The $10 million project will see a stretch of Taché Avenue in St. Boniface upgraded to add a pedestrian walkway and a lookout over the river. It will also connect the paths that run between St. Boniface Hospital and Esplanade Riel.

READ MORE: Temporary lane closures on Taché Avenue start Sunday

That path is currently limited to a narrow sidewalk along Taché Avenue — until construction on the project is completed in October.

“We are on track for a late fall completion, so what we consider to be the end of the 2018 summer construction season is the end of October, typically,” Cameron Ward, Bridge Projects Engineer with Winnipeg’s Public Works Department, said. “We’re looking good for around there to open things up to the public.”

When the project was first planned in 2016, the budget was $5 million. The cost doubled after the city realized it needed to factor in costs associated with preventing riverbank erosion.

“It’s a major investment in some of our municipal infrastructure — primarily riverbank stabilization,” Ward said. “As well, (it’s) a key component to our place-making and public realm in the area. That entails a new multi-use path along Taché between Provencher and the docks.”

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

The existing sidewalk south of the docks will also be widened, and a new feature is being added to take advantage of the location’s proximity to nature.

“In that area, we have a new lookout structure which we’re calling the St. Boniface Belvedere, which is sort of a bridge-type structure that arcs over the riverbank — it’s elevated above the riverbank — and it’s going to provide some very scenic views of the river and the downtown area,” Ward added.

“We’re working closely with our landscape architects on the project to strike a balance between giving that feel between being up in the tree canopy but also maintain some of the views and sight-lines that this belvedere structure was set up to take advantage of in the first place.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We're working closely with our landscape architects on the project to strike a balance between giving that feel between being up in the tree canopy but also maintain some of the views and sight-lines that this belvedere structure was set up to take advantage of in the first place."

The expanded promenade and the belvedere will become part of a physical activity loop connecting the Forks and the Esplanade Riel, and many hope the lookout will become a popular destination for Winnipeggers and tourists.

“We worked very closely with a group of community stakeholders, including the St. Boniface Hospital, the Forks, Provencher Biz and others to really make the design of this facility that fits into an overall vision for that loop,” Ward said.

Southbound Taché Avenue has been closed from Provencher Boulevard to Despins Street since late May, and was closed northbound from Avenue de la Cathedrale to Despins Street over the summer months as well.