The City of Winnipeg has closed the Arlington Bridge, due to its deteroriating condition.
In a news release issued Tuesday afternoon, the city announced the bridge would be closed immediately following the results of a condition assessment.
The city has been aware of the need to replace the 121-year-old bridge and the condition assessment shed more light on steel corrosion and structural issues that make annual repairs on the bridge non-feasible, the city said.
JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES The Arlington Bridge has been closed indefinitely, the City of Winnipeg announced Tuesday afternoon.
Motorists, cyclists and pedestrians will now be required to detour across the rail yards via the McPhillips Street underpass or the Slaw Rebchuk Bridge between Salter and Isabel streets.
“We encourage drivers to get onto these routes as early as possible — ideally at Selkirk Avenue or Notre Dame Avenue and especially during morning and afternoon commutes — to avoid bottlenecks at Logan Avenue and Dufferin Avenue,” the city advised.
The future of the Arlington Bridge has been on the city’s radar for nearly a decade.
Earlier this year, the city initiatied a study to determine whether a long-term rehabilitation was possible or if the bridge should be decommissioned. Its initial analysis confirmed that steel corrosion has accelerated in recent years, is widespread, and has progressed to the point where it is no longer viable to make annual reactive safety repairs.
The city said it will begin repairs to ensure the immediate safety of property in the underlying rail yards.
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