Louise Bridge to be closed for 9 days while it undergoes repairs

The Louise Bridge will be closed for nine days in mid-Julywhile the span over the Red River undergoes repairs.

The City of Winnipeg is advising motorists to use Disraeli Freeway or theProvencherBridge to cross the Red River from 6 a.m. on Saturday, July 16 to 6 p.m. onSunday, July 24.

During that time, the Louise Bridge will undergo concrete deck repairs, expansion joint repairs and asphalt resurfacing.

Pedestrians will be able to use the bridge while the work is underway.

The city describes the repairs to the 105-year-old spanas "general bridge maintenance." Built in 1911, the bridge is nearing the end of its life.

In 2011, city council approved a transportation master plan that called for the bridge to be replaced by 2016, placing it in the top tier of city infrastructure priorities.

Since then, council hascommitted funding to design theWaverley underpass and the Arlington Bridge, which were both second-tier priorities in the transportation master plan.

• Waverley Street underpass approved by Winnipeg city council
• Bowman: Plans for new Arlington Bridge must proceed as long as railyards remain

According to city budget documents, thedesign work on a replacement for theLouise Bridge either at its existing location or further east in Point Douglas won't commence until the city completes a design study that will determine the alignment of the East Transitway, a rapid-transit corridor that will connect downtown with Transcona.

The city may decide to build a new bridge to carry both motor-vehicle traffic and a dedicated bus corridor. The cost of a Louise Bridge replacement has been estimated in the hundreds of millions.