Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham now favours reopening Portage and Main to pedestrians, CBC News has learned, following a report warning repairs to the existing intersection would cost $73 million and cause four to five years of construction-induced traffic delays.
The mayor’s office has called a press conference for Friday morning without declaring the subject matter. Multiple sources tell CBC News the mayor plans to announce he would like to reopen the intersection to pedestrians in 2025 and permanently close the circular walkway underground.
Gillingham’s office declined comment. A draft version of a council-commissioned report, obtained by CBC News, pegs the cost of repairing the intersection at $73
