WINNIPEG – The City of Winnipeg recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the 30th anniversary of the Charleswood Bridge and the winding down of the public-private partnership (P3) used to build it.
The $45.8-million bridge was built via a P3 with DBF Ltd./Ernst Hansch 鶹ýion and the City of Winnipeg. It opened in fall 1995, a release said.
“As one of Canada’s first public-private partnerships, the Charleswood Bridge showed what’s possible when we get creative with infrastructure. Finished a full year ahead of schedule, this project not only connected neighbourhoods but also set the stage for future partnerships in Winnipeg and beyond. With the upcoming handover to the city, we’re proud to carry its legacy forward as a model of smart infrastructure that benefits our community,” Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham said in a statement.
Winnipeg made its final payment on the project during the 2024 fiscal year and ownership of the bridge will be formally transferred to the city in 2025.
“In 1992 when I became mayor, and with huge work by (former) councillors Bill Clement, Jae Eadie and George Fraser, we had to get this bridge built. The only way was through innovation, which was the private-public partnership. It was like climbing several Mount Everests. But we got it done, and I do hope this bridge serves one and all very well. It was a significant exercise in perseverance and we got the job done,” former Winnipeg mayor Susan Thompson said.
As part of the final maintenance agreement DBF crews recently finished rehabilitating the roadway surface, stairs and barriers.
Minor work remains on walkways and sidewalks which will be completed within the next eight months, after which all interpretive signage and decorations will be returned to the bridge.
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