Disraeli Freeway and Bridges Project

Disraeli Freeway and Bridges

Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba

Status: In Operation

Provincial/Federal/Municipal: Municipal

Value of Partnership: $195 million (NPV), $12.1 million service payments per year

Type of P3: DBFM

Financial Close: March 2010

Substantial Completion: October 2012 

Handback: 2042

The Disraeli Bridges Project, the  largest bridge project in the history of Winnipeg at the time of its opening in 2012, renewed a major transportation corridor in Winnipeg, replacing aging infrastructure and improving connections between the downtown core and the northeastern portion of the city. It opened on time and on budget.

Work on the new Disraeli Bridges started in early 2010 when it was announced the project’s $195 million construction costs would be financed, in part, through a 32.5-year design-build-finance-maintain public-private partnership (P3) agreement.

The project included:

• Two kilometres of new roads for the Disraeli Freeway, between Main Street and Hespeler Avenue; 
• New bridge structures to cross the Red River and Canadian Pacific mainline; 
• Reorganized and improved vehicular access and exit points; 
• Revitalized landscaping and entrance points for adjacent communities; and 
• Improved lighting, landscape features and aesthetic elements to create a more attractive and residential atmosphere for adjoining neighbourhoods. 

The new bridges have a design life of 75 years.

Construction started with detailed design, material procurement and environmental permitting, followed by the erection of a new vehicular bridge west of the existing river crossing. Traffic shifted to the new bridges once they opened, allowing demolition of the old river span and completion of the final phase of work, including an active transportation bridge.

The river crossing features wider lanes, concrete barriers separating traffic and a protected pedestrian walkway on the east side. Bridge materials were selected for durability, corrosion resistance and reduced maintenance needs. 

Sharrows were added to support cycling along the corridor, and bridge abutments were shaped to improve visibility and create safer spaces beneath the structures. The final phase of the Active Transportation Bridge opened in October 2013.

READ MORE: CASE STUDY

Partners:

Public: City of Winnipeg

Private: Plenary Roads Winnipeg (Plenary Group, PCL Constructors Canada Inc., Wardrop Engineering Inc., Stantec Consulting Ltd., Borland Construction)

Awards: National Awards for Innovation & Excellence in P3s' Chuck Wills Award (Outstanding Municipal P3 Project), 2012