Louise Bridge reopens to traffic after 2-week closure
109-year-old bridge was also closed for repairs in July after holes were discovered
Traffic is once again flowing smoothly through parts of Winnipeg after two weeks of detours and congestion.
The Louise Bridge, which links Point Douglas and Elmwood across the Red River, reopened Saturday after being shut down for repairs and maintenance.
The span was originally supposed to reopen on Sept. 2 but the work was delayed by a run of rainy weather.
The 109-year-old steel truss bridge was also closed for repair work in July after holes were discovered in the pedestrian walkway.
The bridge has been on the city's radar for replacement for a decade now. It was first earmarked in the 2009 capital budget, which described it as nearing the end of its useful life.
And then in 2011, the city's Transportation Master Plan pegged its replacement as a top city infrastructure priority.
Currently the fate of the bridge is tied to a forthcoming city decision about where the future East Transitway — a proposed bus corridor connecting downtown to Transcona — will cross the Red River.
The city is studying ways to integrate a new Louise Bridge into that plan.