Osborne Bridge construction resumes Friday

THE end of winter means it's time for Winnipeg's other season -- road construction, which begins in earnest Friday with the resumption of the Osborne Bridge rehabilitation.

The $17.2-million project, which involves the resurfacing and widening of Osborne Street from Broadway to River Avenue, began last year with work on the east side of the bridge over the Assiniboine River.

Work on the west side of the bridge will begin on Friday, reducing traffic to three lanes, the public works department announced in a statement. One lane will be for northbound traffic, a second for southbound and a third will alternate, depending on the time. The city employed this system last year.

The pedestrian underpass on the north side of the Assiniboine River will remain open as long as river levels are low enough. As of Tuesday, the level was 7.3 feet at the James Avenue pumping station, or 1.2 feet below the Assiniboine Riverwalk. If river levels rise, the city urges pedestrians and dismounted cyclists to exercise caution when they cross the street.

The city hopes to complete construction by September and reopen two lanes of traffic in each direction while crews erect a barrier in the middle of the bridge to separate traffic. The entire project is expected to be finished in October, with three southbound lanes, two northbound lanes and both a bike lane and sidewalk in each direction.