Winnipeggers get glimpse at Waverley Street underpass designs

A group of Winnipeggers got a glimpse Tuesdayat potential design plans for the construction of an underpass on Waverley Street.

Brad Neirinck, Winnipegs bridge-planning and operations engineer, said despite unveiling the designs to the public at Tuesdays open house, the project is still in the planning stages.

We're going to complete the preliminary design report, come up with a cost estimate, and wait for funding to be in place to implement the project, said Neirinck.

Neirinck said the city is currently considering things like how the intersection would handle additional lanes, and how to keep traffic moving during construction.

Residents reactions

Those in attendance for the town hall meeting had mixed reactions.

Paul and Kulbar Phangureh have lived in Winnipegs South End for 30 years. Between the two of them, the Phangurehs cross the Waverley Street tracks at least four times a day.

"I think I've spent half my life waiting for the train to cross," said Paul Phangureh.

The Phangureh's aren't the only ones who have spent ample amounts of time waiting.

Thirty-thousand vehicles cross over the train tracks atWaverleyStreet and Taylor Avenue every day, according to the city. Around 40 trains pass through the area on a daily basis, too.

Out of the loop

Throughout the Tuesday night open house, City of Winnipeg officials encouraged residents to fill out reviews detailing what they liked and didn't like about the designs on display.

Robert Kury, who lives in the area, feels like he is being kept out of the loop.

"I feel like I'm being hoodwinked, said Kury. I'm not being given the whole picture. What are the alternatives? Has someone really looked at where the traffic is going to come from in the future?"

Kury questioned whether new developments in the area will createmore strain on the intersection and proposed underpass.

I see the development going on in the Richmond West area, and theres thousands of houses going to be built out there, said Kury. Where is that traffic going to go? Have they really, really looked at where that traffic is going to go?

Underpass overdo

Rosemary Cox, who lives in the Crescent Wood area, travels through the intersection every day to get to work. She said the intersection has needed an underpass to alleviate traffic for a long time.

I come into work for 9:30 a.m.," said Cox. "If we can get there about [8:40 a.m.] or a little bit close to 9 a.m., we get stuck, and the trains are long now, really long."

Cox said on occasion she spends as much as five to nine minutes waiting for trains to clear the area.

Theres lots of traffic, and the traffic just piles up for miles, and then after the train does go by, another will come, and the traffic takes a long time to move."

Cox is looking forward to real change.

An underpass would be good. What theyre doing here now, this is just a concept. Id love to see the real thing.

The city won't be confirming how much the project will cost until March, 2015.