Route 90 proposed design unveiled, city asking public to weigh in

The city has unveiled its design for a new-look Route 90 between Taylor Avenue and Ness Avenue, which would include the widening of the roadway.

The road is an important trade corridor and the busiest in Winnipeg with more than 40,000 vehicles using the road per day and up to 3,000 trucks per day helping move goods throughout the city.

Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham says it’s a change that’s long overdue.

“When we’re talking about moving trade along Route 90, when we’re talking about moving people heading to work or to school, or moving from the south end of the city to the north, that’s a pinchpoint, it’s a bottleneck that needs to be addressed,” Gillingham said.

Since 2018, the city has been planning the project. On Friday, the third phase of public engagement was launched, giving Winnipeggers a chance to view the design and voice their opinion.

An online survey is up until June 1 (Route 90 Improvements Study Survey (surveymonkey.com) and an open house will be held Thursday, May 18 at the Viscount Gort Hotel from 6-8 p.m.

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Between Taylor and Ness, Route 90 is only two lanes, creating a bottleneck of traffic. The city is also proposing a reconstruction of the roadway as the pavement is nearing the end of its life. There is also a proposal to move the speed limit to 60 kilometres an hour.

Another part of the proposed design is to rehabilitate and reconfigure the St. James Bridges. The southbound bridge was completed in 1935 and is nearing the end of its life, and the northbound bridge was completed in 1962 and is deteriorating.

There is also a plan to add active transportation paths, and separate combined sewers, which will reduce wastewater overflows into the river and basement flooding.

Ken Klassen, who lives just a few houses down from Kenaston, is not at all on board with widening the road, even if it doesn’t come to expropriation.

“The other concern is even people who won’t be expropriated, their access to their properties is going to be severely restricted,” Klassen said. “The city is planning to close approximately 14 different intersections between local streets and back lanes, and yet at the same time, they claim they’re improving access to the neighbourhoods.”

Klassen doesn’t think adding another lane in each direction will lessen the congestion, and he wishes the city would focus on rapid transit solutions instead.

Council will review the public engagement results in the fall.

If approved, construction is estimated to take six years to complete.

-with files from Jeff Braun