Winnipeg Roads & Infrastructure - Page 181

esquire · #**3601** Posted **Jan 17, 2018, 6:29 PM**

I read the City's overview of the Fermor bridge rehab project and I was somewhat disappointed to learn that Fermor will remain 4 lanes despite being regularly clogged at rush hour. The City's website says that Fermor was expanded to 4 lanes in 1969... given that the city and the number of cars on the road have grown a touch in the nearly 50 years since then, you'd think that a major artery like that might get expanded to 6.

bomberjet · #**3602** Posted **Jan 17, 2018, 7:08 PM**

Does Fermor really get that backed up? I was quite pleased with the pathway improvements that are part of that project. Otherwise it's a reconstruction project with minor improvements to accel/decel lanes.

rrskylar · #**3603** Posted **Jan 17, 2018, 7:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

I read the City's overview of the Fermor bridge rehab project and I was somewhat disappointed to learn that Fermor will remain 4 lanes despite being regularly clogged at rush hour. The City's website says that Fermor was expanded to 4 lanes in 1969... given that the city and the number of cars on the road have grown a touch in the nearly 50 years since then, you'd think that a major artery like that might get expanded to 6.

Six lanes...phhhhht...that's for cities like Regina, Fargo and Saskatoon we don't like progress here, keeping all roads like they were in 1969 suits us just fine!

esquire · #**3604** Posted **Jan 17, 2018, 7:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Does Fermor really get that backed up? I was quite pleased with the pathway improvements that are part of that project. Otherwise it's a reconstruction project with minor improvements to accel/decel lanes.

The few times I've taken eastbound Fermor at rush hour I have found that it gets pretty snarled with traffic. It's on my mental map of routes to avoid at rush hour when possible.

I agree regarding the pathway improvements though, that part is nice.

CoryB · #**3605** Posted **Jan 17, 2018, 7:58 PM**

I would hazard a guess the issue with Fermor is more that Bishop is over capacity due to the traffic lights. The question then becomes does the city spend money on making a free flowing inner ring road which would include Bishop or does it spend money expanded streets. We can't have both as there is a hard limited to the city infrastructure budget..

bomberjet · #**3606** Posted **Jan 17, 2018, 8:02 PM**

In the ultimate configuration, Fermor would be freeway from the Ontario border (lol I know) up to Dunkirk. And Bishop would of course be freeway. Bishop higher priority then Fermor, I agree.

esquire · #**3607** Posted **Jan 17, 2018, 8:31 PM**

^ Bishop Grandin should be a higher priority, but adding an extra lane to Fermor from Dunkirk to Lagimodiere is a much more achievable goal than turning Bishop into a freeway. Break into three phases - Dunkirk-St. Anne's, St. Anne's - Lakewood, Lakewood-Lagimodiere and do it over the course of 15 years.

bomberjet · #**3608** Posted **Jan 17, 2018, 8:42 PM**

You're right esquire, it could be done.

CoryB · #**3609** Posted **Jan 18, 2018, 4:48 PM**

The challenge becomes limited capital.

As a city we can:

Build out William Clement (part of the inner ring road)

Build out CPT (part of the inner ring road)

Work on grade separations on the inner ring road

Widen Route 90 between Portage and Sterling Lyon

Add lanes to Fermor

Build an underpass for Waverly

--

We can't take on all those projects so some of them need to come off the list and the inner ring road is a full parcel, you can't pick and choose leaving some of it on, just which pieces are going first.

bomberjet · #**3610** Posted **Jan 18, 2018, 4:53 PM**

Yes, that is the issue we keep going in circles on. That's why adding one lane every 5 years is more feasible than any sort of freeway project.

If the City were seriously going to turn something into a freeway, it would be a very selective process. Not going to get into which project should be first.

MG922 · #**3611** Posted **Jan 18, 2018, 5:21 PM**

If the bridge needed full replacement, adding lanes to have 6 might make sense. Doesn't make sense to have 6 thru lanes everywhere except the bridge which has 4.

Currently Bishop is a higher priority to turn into a 6 lane roadway.

Agreed about the pathways, will be an awesome improvement!

esquire · #**3612** Posted **Jan 18, 2018, 5:37 PM**

^ The problem with turning Bishop into 6 lanes is that redoing the EB Fort Garry Bridge would be a costly endeavour. But that said, it's somewhat incredible that Kenaston/Bishop Grandin isn't built with 6 lanes from Taylor to at least Waverley. It has become choked with traffic but capacity never expands.

bomberjet · #**3613** Posted **Jan 18, 2018, 5:52 PM**

Again, money and priorities. The City has no money, so priorities don't matter much unfortunately. Spot improvements at random are what we get.

Reignman · #**3614** Posted **Jan 18, 2018, 6:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Again, money and priorities. The City has no money, so priorities don't matter much unfortunately. Spot improvements at random are what we get.

The question then becomes WHY does the city not have the money for such projects? Every other city in the western world can find a way to fund and build proper roadway infrastructure. Seems that only Winnipeg cannot.

rkspec · #**3615** Posted **Jan 18, 2018, 7:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reignman

The question then becomes WHY does the city not have the money for such projects?

opening P&M drained that budget fast

esquire · #**3616** Posted **Jan 18, 2018, 7:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rkspec

opening P&M drained that budget fast

What would it cost, maybe a few million max? How much do you think you're going to get for that kind of money... enough for a few hundred metres of fresh asphalt dumped on top of Pembina or Portage?

StNorberter · #**3617** Posted **Jan 18, 2018, 7:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by esquire

^ The problem with turning Bishop into 6 lanes is that redoing the EB Fort Garry Bridge would be a costly endeavour. But that said, it's somewhat incredible that Kenaston/Bishop Grandin isn't built with 6 lanes from Taylor to at least Waverley. It has become choked with traffic but capacity never expands.

Problem is that the city never does any forward thinking. When both sides of the B-G bridge were replaced it went from 2 lanes on each side to 3 lanes WB and 2 lanes EB. Why they didn't make it 3 lanes each way is beyond me. Idiots.

OTA in Winnipeg · #**3618** Posted **Jan 18, 2018, 7:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reignman

The question then becomes WHY does the city not have the money for such projects? Every other city in the western world can find a way to fund and build proper roadway infrastructure. Seems that only Winnipeg cannot.

That's easy. WPS and Fire/Paramedic take up 47% of the city budget. Find a mayor with the balls to fix that.

esquire · #**3619** Posted **Jan 18, 2018, 7:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTA in Winnipeg

That's easy. WPS and Fire/Paramedic take up 47% of the city budget. Find a mayor with the balls to fix that.

For comparison, Edmonton is at 23%, Saskatoon is at 30%.

rrskylar · #**3620** Posted **Jan 18, 2018, 8:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTA in Winnipeg

That's easy. WPS and Fire/Paramedic take up 47% of the city budget. Find a mayor with the balls to fix that.

That truly is obscene, the last mayor gave them whatever they wanted so they would look the other way as he fleeced the city, too bad city council was so oblivious during his reign. If your looking for a mayor with balls then Pee Wee ain't your guy, Susan Thompson had bigger balls than Bowman!