Smoother road aheadCity has long list of street repairs, new bike-and-pedestrian projects slated for completion this year

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/smoother-road-ahead-377671791.html

Mild spring weather has led to an early start to Winnipeg’s 2016 construction season, which will see the city spend $105 million on road repairs.

In March, city council approved a plan to conduct major repairs or "mill and fill" rehabilitations on 15 regional streets, most notably Pembina Highway, where $11.7 million is tabbed for the stretch between Grant Avenue and Confusion Corner. Two sections of St. James Street are getting a combined $9.3-million makeover, while $4.75 million will be poured into Logan Avenue.

The rest of the city’s road-repair cash will be spent on smaller regional road-repair projects, local residential streets, back lanes, alleys and gravel roads. The city also plans to spend $4.1 million to create new sidewalks and bicycle corridors.

The early snowmelt has allowed the city to get a head start on the work, beginning with the completion of a handful of leftover 2015 jobs — including the rehabilitation of Selkirk Avenue — and the largest of the new city projects.

‘"We’re excited the weather has co-operated this year. It’s one of the earliest go dates we’ve given to the contracting industry," said Lester Deane, director of Winnipeg’s public works department.

On Tuesday, council’s public works committee will consider a pair of reports outlining the 2016 list of residential street repairs and new bike-and-pedestrian projects. Once approved, those will get underway as well, Deane said.

The smaller residential-street repairs rarely fall behind schedule, said St. Norbert Coun. Janice Lukes, who chairs the public works committee. "Local streets are pretty bread-and-butter. A lot of that is just rehabilitation. The industry’s hungry and ready to go."

Here’s a list of major road repairs and new bike-and-pedestrian projects scheduled to be completed in 2016, according to budget documents and the reports headed to the public works committee:

*1. Major regional street reconstructions*

Pembina Highway (Grant Avenue to Osborne Street): $11.7 million

St. James Street (Maroons Road to Portage Avenue, Sargent Avenue to Ellice Avenue): $9.3 million

Logan Avenue (Blake Street to Keewatin Street): $4.75 million

Keewatin Street (Logan Avenue to Notre Dame Avenue): $2.4 million

Corydon Avenue, westbound (Montrose Street to Niagara Street): $2.05 million

Sargent Avenue (Victor Street to Arlington Street): $1.8 million

Archibald/Watt Street (80 Archibald St. to Nairn Avenue): $1.5 million

Maryland Street (Portage Avenue to Broadway): $800,000

Academy Road (Stafford Street to Harrow Street): $700,000

*2. Regional "mill & fill" work*

St. Mary’s Road (St. Anne’s Road to Lyndale Drive): $1.6 million

Inkster Boulevard (Keewatin Street to Sheppard Street): $1.6 million

Academy Road (Maryland Bridge to Stafford Street, Campbell Street to Renfrew Street): $1.5 million

Watt Street (Chalmers Avenue to Nairn Avenue): $850,000

Henderson Highway, northbound (Leighton Avenue to McLeod Avenue, Springfield Road to Whellams Lane): $800,000

Notre Dame Avenue, eastbound (Wall Street to Arlington Street): $750,000

Maryland Street (Ellice Avenue to Portage Avenue): $700,000

Lagimodiere Boulevard, southbound (Dugald Road to Rue Marion): $250,000

*3. Residential street renewals*

Citywide (including lane and sidewalk renewals): $44 million

(Click on the interactive map at winnipegfreepress.com to find out if your street will be fixed this season.)

*4. Major new bike lanes, paths and corridors*

Pembina Highway buffered bike lanes (Osborne Street to Grant Avenue): $4 million, included in Pembina rehab budget

Forks-Assiniboine Avenue cycle track connection: $475,000

Waverley Street multi-use pathway (Bishop Grandin Boulevard to Scurfield Boulevard): $447,000

Northeast Pioneers Greenway-Archibald Street connection: $350,000

*5. New sidewalks*

Smith Street (Graham Avenue to St. Mary Avenue): $565,000

Lagimodiere Boulevard (East Mint Place to Burmac Road): $225,000

Downing Street (Wellington Avenue to Sargent Park Place): $150,000

Howden Road (Humber Road to Betournay Street): $150,000

*6. Other street work*

Thin bituminous overlays: $5 million

Granular roads: $4 million

Alley renewals: $2.75 million

bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca