Winnipeg Sun
February 5, 2006
By ROSS ROMANIUK, CITY HALL REPORTER
After years of frustration for motorists waiting for Kenaston Boulevard's underpass to be built, there's light at the end of the tunnel.
Work on the $44-million underpass at Wilkes Avenue is on pace to let motorists ignore trains -- rather than stop for them -- as soon as this fall.
JOB ON TRACK
Despite concerns by some city councillors that the construction has slowed, the city's public works department says the job is on track.
"Everything is on schedule for an October completion," spokesman Bob McDonald told the Sun.
"We say completion -- there will probably be some landscaping and things of that nature that would happen the next spring, but we're on target for completion this October."
The lack of visible work on the hole beneath the Canadian National main line is for good reason, McDonald said, as a railway bridge must first be built.
"That's what the train is going to run on. They build that bridge basically at ground level," he explained. "And once that's all built, we excavate the area underneath it. It's a lot cheaper to build it on grade. If we were to do an excavation and then have to build a bridge, it's more expensive."
Coun. Russ Wyatt (Transcona) is among the politicians who have suggested the project had been bogged down by unexpected difficulties, while the city struggled last spring and summer to acquire residential and business properties for new street connections.
In addition, a shortage of track space prompted an agreement with Canadian Pacific Railway to move idle trains from the city to the Macdonald municipality.
Conservative MP-designate Rod Bruinooge, elected last week in Winnipeg South, told the Sun that "people are wondering what politicians can do to move things forward" to complete the underpass.
"There doesn't seem to be much work getting done there," Bruinooge said. "It needs to be pushed forward as hard as possible."
Coun. Jae Eadie (St. James-Brooklands) said "rejigging" roadways to join the new Sterling Lyon Parkway took time, though he sees no more obstacles.
"We were getting updates in the fall," Eadie said.
"But I can't remember seeing one since well before Christmas. I'm assuming that everything is moving along."
Work should begin next month on a pumping station to drain the underpass, McDonald said, adding that a water main will be moved this spring.
Some weekend work has been necessary to make up for earlier delays.