Situated in the central part of Winnipeg (Manitoba, Canada), the Osborne Street Bridge is a major river crossing comprised of twin bridges spanning over the Assiniboine River. This bridge is one of Manitoba’s busiest routes for vehicle, cyclist, and pedestrian traffic. The bridge connects downtown Winnipeg with Fort Rouge and other southern suburban areas. To the south of the bridge is Osborne Village, which is among Winnipeg’s oldest neighbourhoods, and is also its most densely populated area. To the north of the bridge are two landmark buildings, the Manitoba Legislative (Legislative) building as well as the two Great-West Life corporate buildings with their architectural details they depict the rich history that embodies this neighbourhood. The City of Winnipeg (City) identified that the bridge was in need of rehabilitation to extend its remaining service life and to strengthen the bridge for current design loads. The rehabilitation works also needed to improve Active Transportation (AT) across the bridge and within the project limits. In 2009, Tetra Tech WEI Inc. (Tetra Tech) consulting team was retained by the City to provide conceptual and preliminary engineering, detailed design, and construction services for this project. Rehabilitation works on the bridge included partial depth deck replacement, bearings and expansion joint replacement, and widening of the deck overhangs to accommodate wider sidewalks, and 1.8 m shoulders for cyclists. A comprehensive public consultation program was implemented that also included a Neighbourhood Advisory Committee (NAC). NAC committee members participated as representatives of a broader constituency to work together with the design team by providing input, identifying issues, and discussing reasonable options to enhance the project and help mitigate impacts during construction. Public art was also integrated in the bridge design to emphasize the eclectic nature of the neighborhood and represent its rich history. The $16.8-million project, which began in the spring of 2011, took less than two years to complete and was finished both on time and on budget.
