Winnipegs Louise Bridge to close for repairs on Friday – Winnipeg [Video]

The Louise Bridge is closing briefly for repairs Friday.

From 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the bridge will close to vehicle traffic as crews work on repairing the bridge’s bearings. The west pedestrian walkway will remain open.

“My understanding is right now it’s just annual maintenance, just an initial look,” Mayor Scott Gillingham said.

According to the Manitoba Historical Society, the bridge was built in 1910. The 115-year-old structure was originally a railway bridge before it was converted for vehicles.

Last year, a city report found the bridge needs renewal by 2030. The bridge’s issues include “extensive bridge deck deterioration, non-functional support bearings, structural steel deterioration, and underwater river pier deterioration,” the report said.

“Ultimately in this budget, we do have money for future years that we’ve talked about before, we’ve approved so that we can extend the life of the Louise Bridge for 25 years,” said Gillingham.

Those major repairs are set to begin …