Breathing new life into
Saskatchewan Avenue
By Paul Adair
I
f you happen to live under a rock
funding approximately 50 per cent of the
condition, but the turning lanes and
and haven’t already noticed, a major
estimated $41 million total cost.
parking were just gravel swales, and there
thoroughfare in the city is currently
receiving a major makeover. Since the Saskatchewan Avenue Revitalization project began in spring 2022, the City of Portage la Prairie has been steadily upgrading stretches of the roadway to reflect a more modern design and make the street more accessible for vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians, while also providing a consistent and commercially vibrant pedestrian connection to the downtown. This project is also restoring aging underground infrastructures such as land drainage, wastewater sewer, and watermains. The work from 8th Street W to Elm Street
The project is also being worked on in two phases and multiple stages.
was no sidewalk for much of the street, not to mention the lack of adequate lighting. This revitalization project
Wrapping up in spring 2023, the first
will renew Saskatchewan Avenue and
phase of the project saw significant
give us the kind of access, safety, and
improvements/replacements made to
accessibility that we’ve come to expect
the street’s watermain and wastewater
from a modern city.”
sewer infrastructure. Phase 2 of this project, which will be completed between
A disruptive challenge
the autumn months of 2023 and 2024,
For a project of this size and scope,
will involve a substantial overhaul of 1.5
disruption is almost impossible to avoid.
kilometres of Saskatchewan Ave. West
But the City has done what it can to
– from 4th Street W. to Elm Street – and
lessen the negative consequence of the
include upgrades to the paved avenue
work being done by providing alternative
and sidewalks, the addition of bike paths,
access where possible, adding signage
green spaces, and parking spaces, and
to help traffic navigate various street
enhanced land drainage.
closures, and by keeping sections of Saskatchewan Avenue open during
is funded through the ICIP program with
“The west end of Saskatchewan Avenue
the provincial and federal governments
has really never before been brought up
committing $8.3 million and $12.5
to a high urban standard,” says Jocelyn
Despite any disruption that remains, the
million, respectively. The City expanded
Lequier-Jobin, Director of Operations
response from the public has been largely
the scope of the project beyond what
at the City of Portage la Prairie. “The
positive, with the people frequenting
was originally planned and will be
travel lanes themselves weren’t in bad
Saskatchewan Ave. seeming to appreciate
24 Portage la Prairie & District Chamber
construction.
