The Forks says repairing a historic railway bridge will be expensive, with no set timetable for its reopening – more than a year after it was closed for safety reasons.

Initial engineering reports have pegged the price of repairing the century-old bridge that connected South Point Park, across the Assiniboine River, to the historic site in downtown Winnipeg — at more than $10 million.

Zach Peters, communications and marketing manager at The Forks, said the bridge requires extensive work, starting with the rehabilitation of the concrete counterweight that sits on top of the bridge, which began earlier this week.

“It’s not new infrastructure,” Peters said Saturday. “As it’s aged, it’s definitely had some updates along the way, but nothing recent. And now we’re kind of at the point of realizing, OK, there’s quite a bit of work to be done here. “

The bridge has been closed since June last year as it was undergoing structural assessments.

Peters said The Forks was looking to see if there was some wiggle room on the price of repairs.

“We’d like to see it again”: active transportation advocate

A spokesperson for Bike Winnipeg said Saturday the news will be disappointing for many cyclists who use the popular route.

Executive director Mark Cohoe said the bridge closure resulted in the closure of a vital junction in the city’s cycling network, forcing people to take a detour.

“It’s certainly more problematic if you’re someone who uses…the river trail that goes up that river trail along the north side of the Assiniboine, and all of a sudden you have to get out of it and cross the Main Street.” » said Cohoe.

The bridge is “well used when it’s open and we would like to see it again,” he added.

Cohoe said the bridge closure highlights the lack of funding dedicated to Winnipeg’s cycling network. He said the city should find an interim solution, such as marking the east side of Main Street as a shared bike path.

“I haven’t heard of anyone getting tickets, but I think it would be good to clarify the legalities,” he said.

Peters said The Forks is still exploring its options, trying to find a short-term solution that would allow the bridge to reopen in the short term, but there remains a long-term solution.

“We recognize that this is a vital active transportation route to and through The Forks,” he said. “We want it to be open as much as anyone else.”