Discussions

I know there were previous threads on this topic but I couldn't find it so starting a new one.  
 
Manitoba Infrastructure has updated their information on the overpass, so including the link to their site. It sounds as if the consulting firm responsible for the project will be updating the site regularly now. Project to start in November, with final completion in the summer of 2024. The renderings of the final project look incredible!  
 
https://www.gov.mb.ca/mit/wms/structures/daly_overpass/index.html

All those "artists renderings" are angled just right to conceal how much those bridges are out of alignment to the road/highway. Take a look of the plans from above, like we would at viewing a map. Lane two (outside lane) Northbound is so far over to the East that at it's furthest point, it lines up to Seventeen street (The stupid pedestrian bridge is even further). All before turning inward sharp westerly to join back up to the existing roadway. All for the simple reason to save a buck or two. Because that's the theory... Build all four bridges at once to save some money. However this project is going to run three years. The same amount of time as the similar project on First Street. But somehow in those three years a bridge was built beside the old one, opened, then pulled down the old one and replaced it with another. And now First street has a pair of bridges that basically lines up with the roadway at both ends. What the Hell? Doesn't Brandon's busiest roadway deserve the same kind of attention? ...Or funding?  
 
The design looks sloppy and without care. But it will have wheat sheaths for the homeless and rift raft taggers to look and admire at when 'doing their thing' under it. I also guess it's too much to ask for a pedestrian/cycle on the southbound side? What? It was okay to have access for people going over the river for Eighteenth on both sides, but not over the tracks? ...No thought there or sidewalk, it seems. And just why is there an effort to have separate pedestrian bridge of the tracks? I don't get it. Is this some weak attempt to have a buffer from the traffic? No one is going to stop and admire the view, because there's nothing really interesting to see. Well, there might be a few things. Imagine this... We'll all be taking our family for a evening stroll or bike ride, of which we'll need to loop under since we live to the west. We'll take a pause to gander outward over a oil soaked, weed infested train tracks laden with trash stretching outward to a bridge on the horizon that had good thoughts in planning and design. And as we turn around we'll gaze our eyes downward to the dystopia of any underside for an urban highway in a semi industrial/residential area. We will see the same, if not more of the overgrowth of vegetation and garbage highlighted with the bright and colorful graffiti applied overtop of the impressive wheat sheaths stamped into the concrete. "Oh look!" I'll be screaming into my kids ear, because the noise from the traffic will be no better at six meters away then it was at one meter. "Wildlife!" And with my child's eyes widen with excitement. He'll watch with wonder as a homeless person crawls out of a tent and shuffle over to relieve himself into the meter tall thistles that fills the ditch that lines along the tracks. Yes sir, that will be a sight. *sarcasm* Ya know, I'm going to stick my neck out a little further and say that maybe the cost of an free standing pedestrian bridge might be the same to that of widening the two new bridges over the tracks of have folks simply walk or cycle as a function rather than as some sort of a feature. And PRESTO!... Like magic we can have pedestrian access available for both Northbound and Southbound. Who knew that could be done? Certainly not the planers for this project, who've probably never been to our fine city to see for what and where they're placing this fancy bridge. Because no one living here in Brandon is going on that bridge on foot for the view. I can't speak for everyone, but I just want to get over the tracks made quickly and easily as possible. I don't care about greenspaces or trees or park benches because my destination will be somewhere else. Since I've mentioned greenspaces... I would like to hope these bridge designers considered what the greenspace that's currently sitting in the Northeast corner where the new structure is planned is an water collection reservoir for overland flooding. It would suck when all that water ends up somewhere else after a quick thaw or a heavy rain. ...Just saying that I don't see anything on the plans these past two years to compensate it's purpose. Maybe the side streets and surrounding properties? Heck, who will notice? ...Right?  
 
For the next seventy years we will have to look at this ridiculous swoop around nothing and future folks will ask themselves... "Why did they build it this way?" "Why is there a separate pedestrian bridge on just that one side?" "Was there something originally here that the bridges had to go over there?" Hopefully, there will be somebody in those times to say... "It was said to be because it was a little bit cheaper to do it that way".  
 
Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

From my understanding, the pedestrian bridge is being built so far to the east so that it can be maintain a gentle enough slope to be easy traversed by people walking, biking, in a wheelchair, etc. The current bridge is very steep and not super fun for anyone that has trouble moving like that. Those are likely the current standards for road/bridge building, which may be slightly different than when the current bridge was built.

The governent should look at the cheapest possible way to build a bridge. Its not there fault that the city of brandon decided to expand a city on both sides of a railroad and river. Now because of poor city planning over the last 50 years the provincail tax payers have to pay for a new bridge in a city. This cost should be to the city not the province. But like always the provincail tax payers have to pay for a city so people can get somewhere 5 minutes faster. Be happy that a new bridge is coming. 75% of the province will barely use that bridge.

isn't that the reason we pay provincial tax? Lots of stuff the provinces has funded that I will never use. Taxes are what they are.

Whew! I had to reread that several times to make sure I understood your point of view.  
 
Edited by PatrickPulak, 2021-09-27 13:30:16

Based on your post, can you summarize the perspective of Snowmans? I've reread it several times and am having a hard time nailing down the main issue. Is it the "swoop" design, the lack(?) of connectivity for pedestrians, the view, the lack of aesthetic maintenance by CP along their ROW: or all of the above?  
 
Thanks!