At least 56 streets and 11 back alleys likely won’t be fixed in Winnipeg this year, thanks to a funding spat between the City and the Province.
The City’s infrastructure committee was told at the beginning of March that all residential roadwork was being deferred until 2020 at the earliest, due in part to a funding squabble with the province.
Brad Neirnick, the City’s manager of engineering, said they had identified 53 street locations and 11 lanes that were scheduled for work for 2019.
Global News repeatedly asked the City’s public works department, communications office and Mayor’s office for that list of roads, and was told the office didn’t have a list or was denied access due to “budget negotiations.”
However, buried in the city’s website is a Request For Proposals released in 2018 that outlines a total of 56 streets and 11 back lanes scheduled for work in 2019.
RFP. No. 833-2018 lays out the roads, project cost and what was supposed to be done, along with any other considerations, like schools being nearby or co-ordination needed for sewer work.
Below is an interactive map of the street work that was to be done this year. Lines in red are streets, and lines in blue are back alleys.
The total estimated project cost for these roads and lanes is $47 million.
City of Winnipeg spokesperson Ken Allen said the city’s infrastructure committee will get a full report on what roads are to be fixed this year in the spring.
“Planned sewer and water main renewal projects on residential streets will be proceeding as scheduled,” he added in an email to Global News.
Mayor Brian Bowman and Premier Brian Pallister have repeatedly blamed each other for what Bowman called a “hole” in the City’s operating budget.
He said the province retroactively decided provincial road funding spent on local roads had to be spent elsewhere, leaving a $40 million shortfall.
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Meanwhile the province’s finance minister, (and former city of Winnipeg finance committee chair) Scott Fielding, said the city has a spending problem, not a funding problem.
The City budget was passed last week, still with a funding hole.
However, the federal government has since told the city that $40 million in gas tax money is coming their way.
Bowman told Global News he hoped to spend that $40 million on local roads, but the funding may not get here in time for this year.
The City of Winnipeg RFP for roads for 2019.
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