Portage and Main: Landmark Winnipeg intersection set to reopen to pedestrians

A man on a skateboard — whether he knew it or not — became the first person to legally cross a landmark intersection in Winnipeg as it reopened to pedestrians more than four decades after it closed.

Concrete barriers have prevented pedestrian crossings at the intersection of Portage and Main for 46 years, forcing people to go through an underground concourse.

About 100 people, including some horn honkers, sign wavers and dog walkers, eagerly watched as the city cut the ribbon.

Mayor Scott Gillingham says reopening the intersection represents "a historic moment" and puts an end to decades of debate over whether people should be allowed to cross.

City council voted to open up the intersection last year after a study found that carrying out repairs in the area while maintaining the underground walkway would cost $73 million and disrupt traffic for years.

The landmark intersection has inspired a song, a stamp, and has been a place where people have congregated by the thousands to celebrate milestones and protest injustices.

“Reopening Portage and Main to pedestrians is just one piece of a larger effort to make our downtown more connected, accessible, and welcoming,” Gillingham said in a news release Friday.

The move has critics arguing the barriers should be kept in place to reduce accidents and traffic snarls, while advocates say forcing pedestrians to walk underground creates an accessibility issue.

Gillingham said reopening the intersection would help to build a downtown that is safer, more accessible and full of life.

Work over the last year has included demolishing barriers and installing new traffic signals, as well as new curbs, sidewalks and transit stops.