8th Street Bridge Design Options

Brandon, MB – The City of Brandon is inviting the community to view conceptual designs for an active transportation/pedestrian corridor proposed to take the place of the former 8th Street vehicle bridge at a public open house later this month.

Running parallel to the recent demolition process of Brandon’s age-expired 8th Street bridge structure has been work by the City of Brandon’s Development Services Division on the development of conceptual design options for an active transportation/pedestrian corridor to connect the City of Brandon’s north end and downtown across the busy CP Rail corridor. After careful consideration of the feedback garnered at community meetings held the spring of 2017, and with the expertise of Winnipeg-based Dillon Consulting, City administration has now finalized a conceptual design option that is felt best represents the safe, accessible, and attractive connection sought by the community.

Members of the public are invited to attend a public open house on Thursday, May 17th at the North End Community Centre (1313 Stickney Avenue) to learn more about the proposed conceptual design options. Individuals can choose to attend either a 3 p.m. or a 5:30 p.m. open house and ask any questions they may have about the conceptual designs presented and the associated costs.

“Last year’s public feedback process signaled the community’s desire for a simple, yet functional and visually-pleasing design that also allowed for an accessible, safe, and well-lit user experience,” says City of Brandon Director of Engineering Services Patrick Pulak. “In addition to these community needs, the location of the former 8th Street bridge has previously been identified as an essential pedestrian connection in both the City of Brandon’s Greenspace Master Plan and the Assiniboine River Corridor Master Plan. Taking all of these priorities into consideration, we’ve brought forward a conceptual design that we feel will serve the needs of the community well into the future.”

Following this month’s final round of public feedback, a recommendation to proceed to preliminary design phase on the active transportation/pedestrian corridor project will be presented to Brandon City Council for approval later this summer. Pulak notes that funding for preliminary design has been provided for within the City of Brandon’s 2018 operating budget, but funding for detailed design or eventual construction have not.

More information about Brandon’s active transportation/pedestrian corridor project, including 3D renderings of the proposed conceptual design, is available on the City of Brandon website at http://www.brandon.ca/what-is-happening-in-your-neighbourhood/active-projects/1263-bridge.