Road Construction

There are four general types of street renewals: reconstructions, rehabilitations, pavement preservations and improvements within the right-of-way. The time it takes to execute a project depends on the treatment, the size of the project (length, number of traffic lanes, etc.), traffic management/access requirements, and work that needs to be completed by other stakeholders.
Street renewal definitions

Neither material is better than the other. Asphalt is less costly than concrete and is generally quicker to place and maintain; concrete is more durable and requires less maintenance.  Several factors should be considered when selecting a pavement surface, including but not limited to soil subgrade conditions, life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA), traffic volumes, frequency of heavy vehicles, intersections, ease of installation and future maintenance.

Concrete pavements can be a cost-effective option for streets with heavy truck traffic and/or weak soils.  Where traffic volumes are lower and/or soil conditions improve, asphalt can be a cost-effective solution.  Therefore the City currently reconstructs the majority of residential streets and alleys with asphalt surfaces.

More information on this can be found in a May 28, 2019 report to the Standing Policy Committee on Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works.

The City rates the condition of all our pavements on a two to three year cycle.  Several factors may be considered when prioritizing street renewals, including:

• Street classification (regional, collector, industrial, residential or alley)
• Surface type
• Pavement condition
• Renewal treatment (cost/benefit)
• Pavement age
• Coordination with other stakeholders (e.g. Water & Waste)
• Bus route
• Truck route
• Proximity to schools / recreational facilities / retirement facilities
• Available budget
• Development in the area
• Continuity of routes (e.g. extend a renewal to complete a section)

The success of a cost-effective pavement renewal program is the application of the right treatment to the right pavement at the right time. In addition to renewing very poor (failed) pavements, the City applies less costly treatments to extend the service life of good and fair pavements rather than waiting until more expensive treatments are required.

Street renewals are listed by location in the City's Capital Budget.

The online Road construction map and list will display the projects scheduled for construction this year.

A traffic management plan is developed for each road construction project to minimize the impact of construction on traffic flow as much as possible.

When construction is underway, motorists are encouraged to plan ahead, allow additional travel time and use alternate routes. Use the Waze app for the fastest route every day.

Yes, the City's Transportation Management Centre will adjust signal timings where there are benefits to doing so.

This information is available on the construction map to show project progress.

• Pre-Construction – Construction phase has not started.
• 0% – Construction contract is in place, but crews have not mobilized to the site.
• 5% – Crews have mobilized to the site and construction has just begun.
• 10% - 90% – An approximation of progress; construction is well underway.
• 95% – Main roadway construction is complete; travelling lanes are open/parking is restored/garbage pickup resumes (depending on the location); minor deficiencies and landscaping (seeding/sod) are likely outstanding.
• COMPLETE – All construction components of the project are complete. Contractor may return for any follow up or warranty work in the next 1-2 years. Utilities (e.g. street lights) may or may not be complete. Construction may not be complete for other locations in the same contract.

Contracts typically have a specified number of "Working Days." Typically, a Working Day is a fair weather weekday, not including holidays. The design team will determine the amount of work to complete and estimate the amount of time required to complete it. Contractors with a winning bid are contractually obligated to complete the work within the given number of Working Days.

There are a number of reasons they may not be on site at a given time, including (but not limited to):

• Concrete curing time;
• Staging of multiple locations within a single contract; or
• Completion of a given stage before the next is scheduled.

Regardless, if it is a good-weather weekday, it will count as a Working Day toward the contract's total, whether they are on site or not. A contractor exceeding the allowable Working Days is subject to paying liquidated damages as specified in the contract.

The City reviews all Regional and Industrial street renewal projects to determine the pros and cons of accelerated construction methods including construction staging, traffic management, critical milestones, penalty/bonus incentives, weekend working days, and overnight construction, where there is a specific benefit to the City and the public.

Running a construction operation on a 24/7 basis is complex as there are several challenges in undertaking 24/7 construction including:

• The safety of workers and the travelling public is reduced for operations after dark;
• Noise complaints - even if residential areas are not directly beside the construction area, construction noise travels far;
• Availability of work crews - running a 24 hour operation requires two to three separate crews;
• Having such requirements on a contract, contractors are likely to respond (bid) with a cost premium to cover their risk for night and/or extended working hours (i.e. it will cost more).

Where there is a specific benefit to the City and public, the City does require/permit a contractor to run a construction operation through the night. These are usually for a task that needs to be done in succession, very rapidly, and for a short period (for example: one or two days at a high-traffic intersection). The benefit must outweigh the risks and costs discussed above.

Our programs and their associated lane closures are planned with overall traffic management in mind, with the goal of minimizing (to the extent possible) the impact to the public, and the understanding that these infrastructure investments are essential to our transportation system.

Certain high-priority contracts will specify Saturdays as a Working Day to help speed up work.

When weather conditions permit, construction crews typically work a 12 hour day during the construction season.

If you have a gravel (unimproved) back lane (alley) you and your neighbours can petition to have it surfaced through the local improvement program.

The fronting property owners will be responsible for their proportional share of the cost of the improvement, recovered through their property taxes.

For streets, bridges, alleys, sidewalks and active transportation infrastructure — capital projects relate to improvements and other work (e.g. studies) that provide new, additional or replacement of public facilities/assets. Capital works are generally considered to cost more than $100,000 and usually have a service life of 10 years or more.

While the City continues to evaluate its services and projects amid the COVID-19 pandemic, road construction is considered an essential service by the Province of Manitoba and at this time is expected to proceed as planned with the following considerations:

• Our contractors are working with their industry and public health officials to determine safe work procedures for construction sites.
• In-person outreach and consultations to help us understand the needs of property owners adjacent to regional road renewals and other non-Capital projects will now be done remotely via phone, regular mail, email or other online channels.
• We are evaluating options for public engagement on larger capital projects and looking at how to continue to stay connected to Winnipeggers and their feedback and input. Updates on specific projects and their timeleines will be provided once information is available.

We are doing our best to reach stakeholders in a timely and efficient manner but also understand that normal is changing every day and people may no longer be reachable where, or how, we once expected.

If you are a stakeholder on an upcoming project and have new or temporary contact information, please reach out to PWDCommunications@winnipeg.ca.

Please reach out to us. Send an email to PWDCommunications@winnipeg.ca and we will have the project team contact you.