Province should provide cash to twin Disraeli bridge: city committee

A Winnipeg City Council committee has approved a proposal to ask the province for money to twin the Disraeli Freeway during a major rehabilitation of the bridge scheduled for next year.

The city plans to spend between $125 million and $160 million, depending on the design, to upgrade the four-lane bridge over the Red River in north-central Winnipeg.

Earlier this month, several city councillors from northeast Winnipeg and a local MLA called for the bridge to be twinned to allow traffic to move on one side of the bridge while the other is under construction and to provide extra capacity for future traffic.

The councillors called on the city to ask the province to provide the funding to twin the bridge, which will add between $125 millionand $200 million to the project's cost.

It appeared their request would go nowhere, but on Monday morning, Mynarski Coun. Harry Lazarenko sided with his northeast colleagues at a meeting of the city's standing policy committee on infrastructure renewal and public works, voting in favour of a motion supporting the twinning.

"The Disraeli Freeway is going to be busy within the next five or 10 years, and it's time for us to extend those lanes," Lazarenko said.

Lazrenko's vote with those of North Kildonan Coun. Jeff Browaty and Elmwood Coun. Lillian Thomas gave the proposal the momentumit needed to move to the next level at City Hall: the executive policy committee, known as the mayor's cabinet.

There was one dissenting voice on the four-person committee: chair Coun. Bill Clement, whosaid in the unlikely event the province did agree to give Winnipeg more money, he would want to spend it fixing the city's sewer and water system, not twinning the Disraeli bridge.