Aging Arlington Bridge should be turned into lively community hub, Winnipegger says

A bridge in the North End has been deemed unsafe for drivers, and one Winnipeg woman says her vision of a multi-use cycling corridor and outdoor community space would inject new life into the aging structure and surrounding area.

"It's like a diamond in the rough,"Cece McIntosh said. "We were up on the bridge yesterday and everybody that walked past was like, 'Hello, how are you?' I can't say enough about it."

• Winnipeg's Arlington Bridge confirmed to close by 2020

The Arlington Bridge is slated to close by 2020 after inspectors concluded it has met its expiration date for heavy vehicle traffic.

McIntosh wants to see the city repurpose the bridge and turn into a cycling and pedestrian path.

She said it would be a shame for the community to lose the adjoining walkway and miss out on an opportunity to revitalize the area.

"My daughter and [everyone] her age, they bike, they walk, they want to move to Vancouver for that reason,"McIntosh said. "They want to move to Toronto, they want to move to the city that cares and they are already leaving the city in droves. I want our city to be that."

One way of keeping young people from leaving the community would be to turn the bridge into a place where people can meet for coffee and even host events, McIntosh said. That idea squares with Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman's expressed desire to improve pedestrian-friendly and rapid transit infrastructure in the city, McIntosh said.

"If you can imagine this concrete monster bridge they want to put through, they will be expropriating houses. Once that land is developed for a bridge, then there goes any other use for it,"McIntosh said.

• City proposes new tunnel to ease traffic at aging Arlington Bridge

There are examples of bridges in the city that lend credibility to McIntosh's idea. A pedestrian bridge behind the Bridge Drive-In ice cream shop on Jubilee Avenue sees loads of foot-traffic during the spring and summer months. It's a point of congregation McIntosh hopes the city considers duplicating on Arlington Street.

"This would be the perfect spot; it connects two neighbourhoods. This could really put us on the map," McIntosh said.

"I love my kids. I want a future for them. My generation has the responsibility to do that for them. I don't want to burden them with a billion dollarbridge that won't be necessary."