I'm sorry, but it's really bad crossing that patchy piece of shiot and I can't imagine what travellers think when they come rolling along into our fine City to come upon this patchy mess.  
 
That Provincial Trunk highway and bridge falls under the Manitoba Department of Highways and not the City of Brandon.  
 
Does anyone know if there are upcoming improvements to this bridge?  
 
If there aren't, where are our local representatives to the Provincial Department of Highways? They seem to always be upgrading Winnipeg bridges.  
 
I travel it every single day and can't imagine why it's left to deteriorate like it has. I carefully watch my taxdollars like everyone else, but it really needs some work.  
 
 

It seems most of the bridges in Brandon need quiet a bit of work. The old 18th Street bridge creates traffic jams and people rushing in to cut people off as there is only one lane heading north over the bridge - it isn't in the best condition either.  
 
The 8th street bridge is almost constantly getting repairs when in reality they should just be building a new bridge as suggested in a separate location so they don't have to close the bridge completely while a new one is build.  
 
The 1st street bridge is in very poor condition and should truly be replaced but there are a lot bigger projects in motion that seem to get priority over all else.  
 

Don't look for any improvement anytime soon. With provincial government out of control spending for the past 12 plus years and another 3 plus to go I'm sure the province is well over 1.5 billion in the hole right now. It can only get worse when you consider roads and bridges crumbling in every area of the province. I suggest people trade in their cars for a heavier truck suspension...or perhaps an amphibious vehicle.

I always maintain that between the Province of Winnipeg (get it?) and the Department of Holidays.errrr..I mean Highways, that there should be more representation for our Provincial trunk highways that roam throughout our City, being Victoria Avenue, 1st Street, 18th Street and am I missing any?  
 
We need representation to fix this stuff in this little corner of The Province, not to mention all of the rural areas who have highways and bridges needing serious attention. I have no problem at all paying taxes to make sure our highways are safe, but I have always observed a lopsided approach between Winnipeg and the Perimeter-itis that has persisted forever.  
 
My vent.  
 
I agree with the 1st Street Bridge. It's days have seen better in my time and it's condition is pretty sad.  
 

Isn't it slated for replacement sometime in the next couple of years?? Or am I mixing it up with something else??

michelle said "I always maintain that between the Province of Winnipeg (get it?) and the Department of Holidays.errrr..I mean Highways, that there should be more representation for our Provincial trunk highways that roam throughout our City, being Victoria Avenue, 1st Street, 18th Street and am I missing any?     We need representation to fix this stuff in this little corner of The Province, not to mention all of the rural areas who have highways and bridges needing serious attention. I have no problem at all paying taxes to make sure our highways are safe, but I have always observed a lopsided approach between Winnipeg and the Perimeter-itis that has persisted forever.     My vent.     I agree with the 1st Street Bridge. It's days have seen better in my time and it's condition is pretty sad.     "

Richmond Ave?

Abbysmum said "Isn't it slated for replacement sometime in the next couple of years?? Or am I mixing it up with something else?? "

they talked about fixing the damn down there, maybe it is getting replaced with a Ferry?? lol  
 
just kidding

Its definitely in bad shape, but you'll hear people talk about the 18th St Daly Overpass at least as much. You'd have to think that they'd like to eventually have it be two lanes both ways with how busy 18th has become. If there was money to do one of them which would folks prefer?  
 
These are I suspect the kinds of things that they have in mind when you hear the term "infrastructure deficit" and the idea of a 1% PST hike tossed around for better or for worse.  
 
Abbysmum, you're probably thinking of the 8th street bridge?  
http://www.ebrandon.ca/messagethread.aspx?message_id=610746&cat_id=3

Weizen said "    michelle said "I always maintain that between the Province of Winnipeg (get it?) and the Department of Holidays.errrr..I mean Highways, that there should be more representation for our Provincial trunk highways that roam throughout our City, being Victoria Avenue, 1st Street, 18th Street and am I missing any?     We need representation to fix this stuff in this little corner of The Province, not to mention all of the rural areas who have highways and bridges needing serious attention. I have no problem at all paying taxes to make sure our highways are safe, but I have always observed a lopsided approach between Winnipeg and the Perimeter-itis that has persisted forever.     My vent.     I agree with the 1st Street Bridge. It's days have seen better in my time and it's condition is pretty sad.     " Richmond Ave? "

Thank you, Weizen. I was having a senior's moment for a moment. Lol.  
 
RICHMOND AVENUE falls under this list as Weizen mentioned.

Weizen said "    Abbysmum said "Isn't it slated for replacement sometime in the next couple of years?? Or am I mixing it up with something else?? " they talked about fixing the damn down there, maybe it is getting replaced with a Ferry?? lol     just kidding "

but they are replacing the damn this fall. The work has been tendered out and award to a company, and construction is to start this fall.  
 
 
As for the bridge, the bridge has been on MIT`s agenda for while now, but other projects have kind of delayed the project ...it will likely be years and years before the bridge gets replaced or a rehabilitation.  
 
and the waiting game goes on....  
 
Edited by The_Young_Man, 2012-08-07 17:29:40

Than what they got at Waskada....nothing.

Friends from Ontario - Going over the 1st Street bridge said we'd be better off having gravel streets. I don't know how to build a gravel bridge though. Then asked WTH is with these tracks??!! (meaning the CN tracks on 1st First Street).  
 
Friends from Minnesota - going over the NEW 18th Street bridge asked what's with the HUMP? Thankful for monster truck tires. Bottom out...lol.  
 
I will allow the province to take some of my city property taxes from the 2012 Infrastructure Budget and fix those bridges. Oh wait...we might have used up that $500,000 on city streets already. Never mind. Carry on. As you were.

Adam said "Its definitely in bad shape, but you'll hear people talk about the 18th St Daly Overpass at least as much. You'd have to think that they'd like to eventually have it be two lanes both ways with how busy 18th has become. If there was money to do one of them which would folks prefer?     These are I suspect the kinds of things that they have in mind when you hear the term "infrastructure deficit" and the idea of a 1% PST hike tossed around for better or for worse.     Abbysmum, you're probably thinking of the 8th street bridge?   http://www.ebrandon.ca/messagethread.aspx?message_id=610746&cat_id=3 "

personally i rather see a new bridge on 18th, even over 8th, and some repaving on 1st, and yes Waskada NEEDS a new bridge, at least a temp one like hartney got

I believe Brandon has had the short end of the stick in many ways. Yet it is mostly our( local politicians) fault. A year or three ago we fought and won the memorial cup and spent 5 million fixing up the keystone while we ignore that 5 roofs that were leaking that were part of the complex from 1967.  
 
Money to build because ribbon cutting makes a great photo op. My thinking started that way when they paved the Keystone lot. Nice job they did. Kinda overdone in my opinion but who am I to question smarter people. Yet I was mad the next year ( maybe 2)when the Keystone board went cap in hand for a ice plant that was near worn out. The ice plant is the heart and sole of the keystone yet the board had to know it was at end of days but used some "found money" to pave a lot that in 20 years or so will need to be repaired.  
 
Maybe by then we will have the roofs replaced but it seems they want new horse barns first.  
 
Normally I could not believe a near worn out 1st street bridge surface a old 8th street that is of real concern and a 18th street bridge that has been over capacity for years. Not so in this country/nor province and less so city. The priorities are screwy by all three levels. Most long before the Harper clowns got in. It has been followed hook line and sinker by the other levels.  
 
Growth is great but man- maintain what we have. Our city Fathers current and past like to build new and IMO it seems its a horse trade type thing with politics. In Brandons case we have three real crossings from North to South and in in one way or the other they each have real issues.  
 
Nothing in life is free when at the end of that free you have rebuild or have a huge replacement bill. To The OP yes I am ashamed of that bridge and yes we could live with the others for longer. The fact that we face these three large projects at near same time tells me that perimiter vision is alive and well but the cities priorities are either screwy or they have signed on to that vision.  
 
In no way shape or form should all three bridges be near end of life or need major work at close to the same time.  
 
Last question by this Grumpy guy. Why did the Province know the ins and out when the Red River flood conditions happened and left flat footed When the Assiniboine caused issues??  
 
It was not just a election IMO it was because we do have urban centric leadership across Canada!  
 
 
Re 1 percent PST hike Adam- I am all for it if it goes 100 percent to fix what we have but the cities would have to sign on that the current dollars they spend on infrastructure in the cities budget is maintained and at least the same average as the last 5/10 years of the budget. It seems a new pot of coin (PST) can be used as intended but I do not want the city fathers to feel that it frees up current infrastructure dollars for anything but infrastructure.  
 
Also they need to be reminded that what is built must be maintained and eventually replaced. Think of the next generation!  
 
 
 
Edited by Doug, 2012-08-07 18:40:00

Why can't the our local representatives to the Provincial Department of Highways not see all the weeds growing out of the drains. Lived here 7 years and every year there is a green patch growing in the drains (18th and 8th ).  
 
Some days I feel like taking my own broom and shovel and clean out the drains myself but it scares me of stopping trafiic

good luck with the bridges in Brandon. I think the province will be more indulged on WTH they are going to do with #83 north, and are re-building the north bound land through the park... as well as #21 bridge at Hartney I believe is still ready to fall into the river, not to mention I'm sure the province could of spent the nickel to have a Bailey bridge constructed at Coulter by now... just a few of the 'failures' that have happened on the list to date. Don't close up them wallets and purses just yet I'm sure we've got a few more tax hikes coming.

half pint said "Why can't the our local representatives to the Provincial Department of Highways not see all the weeds growing out of the drains. Lived here 7 years and every year there is a green patch growing in the drains (18th and 8th ).     Some days I feel like taking my own broom and shovel and clean out the drains myself but it scares me of stopping trafiic "

Because the money slows down at the Perimeter. It's as simple as that. And we have few souls willing to step up to the plate to grow our City and plead for improvements for Manitoba's second largest City.

...with OP...bit of an embarrassment welcoming people to our town coming over 1st Street bridge.

When going over first st bridge, if there's no other traffic, I put one set of wheels right on the centre line. It's a bit smoother.  

What lines? We hardly even get fresh paint on our streets!

smoker said "What lines? We hardly even get fresh paint on our streets! "

Although in the last weeks I have seen some new yellow lines. It seems they either have equipment issues or someone new or on meds operating the equipment on some streets.  
 
A straight line is a straight line Some are a "tad off" . This is the first year I have noticed how bad some are. My bet is a newbie or equipment issues.  
 
It is funny in a way. I just hope they apply them more often and use the best paint!  
 
In the end I assume/hope that someone from the City/Province read the OP.  
 
The scraping and redo and redo again of some our city streets in the last years still needs explaining in my opinion. Good OP certainly!!  
 
 
 
 
 
Edited by Doug, 2012-08-08 17:25:05

when it collapses like that bridge did in Minneapolis a few years back. Do you ever wonder some days why we stay in this perimeteritis province?