Missed deadline on Plessis Road underpass project could cost city millions

The city of Winnipeg will miss key deadlines for the Plessis Road underpass project, possibly triggering the loss of funding from the other two levels of government.

The delays are outlinedin a report headed to the city's finance committee later this week and they mean more headaches for drivers and even worse for residents who live near the huge construction project.

"Right now they have railway ties justparked outside our fence so we can't even open our windows because the smell of them.I guess the diesel they are covered withjust gives you a headache within five minutes," saidDenny Giasson.

Giassonlives on Paul Martin Drive, just on the edge of the underpassproject.

"It's a real pain in the ass just trying to get around the construction there. The smell, the constant construction, like onweekends and that. They are busy all week and then on the weekends too,you can't really sit outside."

• Plessis underpass work not moving fast enough, some worry

Building an underpass crossing a CN Rail track in Transconahas been a complicated project from the start, involving relocating underground pipelines, new lanes of road and a temporary detour for the rail line.

There were key deadlines that had to be met, according tothe funding agreement between the city of Winnipeg, the province of Manitoba and the government of Canada.

According to the report to the finance committee of city hall, inApril last year, the federal government added some conditions with some deadlines;

"In the event that the city is unable to meet these conditions, Canada may terminate the agreement or suspend its funding obligations."

The city was required to have two lanes of Plessisbetween Dugald Road and Kernaghan Avenueopen to traffic by the end of this July. Instead the city wants that deadline pushed back toOctober 31, 2015.

The city also wants to movethe deadline for completion of all four lanes of the project toSept.30, 2016,a full year behind schedule . These changes are contributing to move the final completion date for the work tono later than March 31, 2017, as opposed to March 31, 2016.

The city has asked the other levels of government for extensions on the funding agreement.

The $77-million project is now estimated to cost an extra $8.4 million, but according to the report to the finance committeethe city hopes to recoup part of the extra costs from the railroad authority.