“This work needs to be done’: Winnipeg mulls $586M upgrades to Kenaston Boulevard

The City of Winnipeg is one step closer to widening Kenaston Boulevard.
Upgrading the notoriously slow route, parts of which are crumbling, and widening it to three lanes, have long been the subject of debate in Winnipeg.
A preliminary report released Tuesday calls for upgrades on Kenaston between Taylor Avenue and Ness Avenue, with a price tag of $586.1 million.
An additional $150.6 million in construction-period interest would come along with that, should the city tackle the project solo by taking on debt.
The report, which will go to the city’s public works department, also discusses building a new bridge over the Assiniboine River, plus sewer and water improvements to service the Naawi-Oodena development, to be built at the site of the former Kapyong Barracks.
Mayor Scott Gillingham said Tuesday that the project has been on the city’s radar for a decade-and-a-half, and it’s finally time to take action.
“People know that this road is in deplorable condition,” Gillingham said. “My guess is that right now there are listeners who are on that section of the road who are avoiding potholes and are trying to dodge holes in the road.
“The work needs to be done.”
Gillingham said the city is already on the hook for costly repairs to the road, and can’t afford to be shortsighted on this issue.
“We have a growing city. As of July 1 last year, Winnipeg’s population is now 815,000. The capital region population is over 920,000, and so much of the trade goes along Kenaston/Route 90.
“So when we’re making decisions, we’ve got to think long-term.”