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Winnipeg’s Portage and Main Reopens to Pedestrians After 46 Years

The ribbon-cutting ceremony caps a yearlong transformation driven by cost savings, coinciding with the launch of Winnipeg’s new transit network.

Pedestrians walk across the intersection of Portage Avenue and Main Street for the first time in decades.
The intersection of Portage Ave. and Main St. as featured on this Canadian postage stamp issued in 1974 to commemorate the city of Winnipeg's centennial year.
The intersection of Portage Ave. and Main St. as featured on this Canadian postage stamp issued in 1974 to commemorate the city of Winnipeg's centennial year.
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Overview

  • Mayor Scott Gillingham led the official opening, allowing foot traffic to cross the intersection for the first time since 1979.
  • Over the past year, crews removed concrete barriers and installed new traffic signals, curbs, sidewalks and transit stops to improve safety and accessibility.
  • City council’s March 2024 vote to restore surface crossings followed an analysis showing repairing the underground concourse membrane would cost about $73 million, far exceeding above-ground upgrades.
  • Several local councillors covering the junction criticized their exclusion from Friday’s ceremony, calling it a break with protocol for ward representatives.
  • The reopening launches alongside Winnipeg’s overhauled transit network and supports broader placemaking efforts to revitalize the downtown core.