Pedestrians are back: Portage and Main set to reopen to foot traffic today
Watch a timelapse of the construction at Portage and Main to reopen the intersection to pedestrians
Why did the Winnipegger cross the road?
Well for the past 46 years they couldn't – at least not at Portage and Main. But on Friday that is all about to change.
The City of Winnipeg will be holding a ceremony Friday at 10:30 a.m. to officially reopen the famed intersection to foot traffic.
CTV News will be live-streaming the event.
Crossing at Portage and Main was a common occurrence in Winnipeg all the way into the 1970s. But in 1976 the city signed a deal to open a retail space underground, which in turn would move pedestrian traffic there as well.
In 1979, the underground concourse was completed, and pedestrians were no longer allowed to cross the intersection.
There was a bit of life for the intersection in 2018 when a plebiscite was held asking Winnipeggers if they wanted to reopen the street or not.
It was defeated with 65 per cent opposed reopening it, compared to 35 per cent in favour. Then-Mayor Brian Bowman said the city would honour the results of the plebiscite.
However, talk of removing the barriers and bringing pedestrians back didn't go away. A motion was brought forward in 2023 to once again allow people to cross the road, and in March of 2024, Mayor Scott Gillingham announced the intersection would reopen.
Construction work started at the end of 2024 with a goal of having Portage and Main open again by the summer of 2025.
CTV News will update this story.
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