Wellington Crescent Riverbank, Path, and Roadway Project

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Introduction

The City of Winnipeg (the City) investigated how best to protect City infrastructure and preserve the south bank of the Assiniboine River on Wellington Crescent between Assiniboine Park and Doncaster Street. Stabilizing the bank is necessary to protect underground utilities and the nearby path and road from further riverbank failure.

Various options to manage riverbank related risks were evaluated to determine the best approach for protecting City assets and amenities.

Background

In the summer of 2016, cracks appeared in the walk bike path along Wellington Crescent near Lamont Boulevard. The City was monitoring the area and found that the cracking was caused by riverbank movement. The riverbank movement continued to worsen, and in July 2017 the riverbank failed. The walk bike path was closed for safety reasons and a temporary gravel detour was built along the north curb of Wellington Crescent. The riverbank monitoring also identified potential risks to the path and street at other locations within the project area.

In September 2018, the City began investigating solutions for the project area. The Wellington Crescent Riverbank, Path, and Roadway Project seeks to:

  • Protect the streets, paths, lighting and underground utilities from the impacts of ongoing erosion and movement by stabilizing the riverbank or relocating infrastructure out of high risk zones
  • Preserve the riverbank with erosion protection and stability improvements along the south bank of the Assiniboine River
  • Restore the damaged walk bike path or construct a new paved path in a different location along Wellington Crescent

Introduction

The City of Winnipeg (the City) investigated how best to protect City infrastructure and preserve the south bank of the Assiniboine River on Wellington Crescent between Assiniboine Park and Doncaster Street. Stabilizing the bank is necessary to protect underground utilities and the nearby path and road from further riverbank failure.

Various options to manage riverbank related risks were evaluated to determine the best approach for protecting City assets and amenities.

Background

In the summer of 2016, cracks appeared in the walk bike path along Wellington Crescent near Lamont Boulevard. The City was monitoring the area and found that the cracking was caused by riverbank movement. The riverbank movement continued to worsen, and in July 2017 the riverbank failed. The walk bike path was closed for safety reasons and a temporary gravel detour was built along the north curb of Wellington Crescent. The riverbank monitoring also identified potential risks to the path and street at other locations within the project area.

In September 2018, the City began investigating solutions for the project area. The Wellington Crescent Riverbank, Path, and Roadway Project seeks to:

  • Protect the streets, paths, lighting and underground utilities from the impacts of ongoing erosion and movement by stabilizing the riverbank or relocating infrastructure out of high risk zones
  • Preserve the riverbank with erosion protection and stability improvements along the south bank of the Assiniboine River
  • Restore the damaged walk bike path or construct a new paved path in a different location along Wellington Crescent

  • May 22, 2020

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    The City is wrapping up a traffic study to evaluate the feasibility of closing parts of Wellington Crescent to vehicles. Property owners that are adjacent to the project area were invited to an upcoming meeting to discuss the outcomes of the traffic study. Public engagement opportunities for the community and the general public will begin on June 2. Stay up-to-date by signing up for project updates. We look forward to gathering your feedback in June.

  • October 23, 2019

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    The City has begun a traffic study to evaluate the feasibility of closing parts of Wellington Crescent to vehicles. A partial closure was identified at the stakeholder meeting and discussed at the adjacent property owner meeting in spring 2019. A partial closure may eliminate the need relocate significant sections of Wellington Crescent, reduce riverbank stabilization costs, reduce traffic volumes and noise along the route, reduce tree removal, and provide enhanced cycling and pedestrian opportunities along the riverbank. Impacts to current and future road users, local residents, Assiniboine Park, and other users will need to be evaluated. Additional public engagement opportunities will occur after the traffic study is complete.

  • May 16, 2019

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    A summary of the meeting held with adjacent property owners and stakeholders is now available.

    The City reached out to adjacent property owners and stakeholders in spring 2019 to discuss the recommended design and gather feedback. An additional concept that would include a partial closure to Wellington Crescent for vehicles, which was identified at the stakeholder meeting and discussed at the adjacent property owner meeting in spring 2019, is currently being considered. Additional public engagement opportunities will occur after the traffic study is complete. Thank you to all who attended the property owners’ meeting and stakeholder meeting on April 25, 2019.

    Key themes that were heard at the property owners’ meeting included:


    Themes What We Heard
    Infrastructure
    • Strong preference to keep Wellington Crescent in its current location
    • In favor of keeping the walk bike path in the wooded area
    • Open to moving the walk bike path to the north side of Wellington Crescent near the Assiniboine Park east entrance
    Property impacts
    (from Strategy 2)
    • Potential for increased noise and pollution
    • Potential privacy and security concerns
    • Changes to property values
    Traffic
    • Traffic volumes on Wellington Crescent are high
    • Traffic speeds on Wellington Crescent are high
    Riverbank protection
    • Proactive riverbank protection is important
    • A "do nothing" approach is not favorable
    Trees
    • Mature trees are strongly valued
    • Trees contribute to neighbourhood character and should be protected if possible


    Key themes that were heard at the stakeholder meeting with Bike Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Trails Association included:


    Themes What We Heard
    Walk bike path
    • Current walk bike path is heavily used
    • In favor of keeping the walk bike path in the wooded area and moving the path entirely to the north side of Wellington Crescent
    Walk bike connectivity
    • Create connections to destinations south of the Assiniboine River
    • Integration the walk bike path with the Route 90 Improvements Study
    Wellington Crescent
    • Could Wellington Crescent be closed to vehicular traffic?
    • Could Wellington Crescent be a one-way street?
    Placemaking opportunities
    • Accommodate mountain bikers on the informal trails
    • Potential for cross country ski trails and river access
    Riverbank protection
    • Climate change needs to be considered
    • The dynamic nature of rivers needs to be respected


    For more information on what we heard, please view the property owners meeting summary and the stakeholder meeting summary.

  • April 26, 2019

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    The City has completed the Functional Design and Options Assessment phase of the Wellington Crescent Riverbank, Path, and Roadway Project. A meeting was held with adjacent property owners to discuss the design and gather feedback. A summary of the meeting will be posted on the project website in May. Please view the timeline for next steps.