Clearing ice off Omand's Creek footbridge didn't clear safety concerns, city says

A group of Winnipeggers who cleared ice off of a footbridge in Wolseley without the city's permission did not remove safety risks, according to a spokesperson for the public works department.

The City of Winnipeg hadrecently blocked off the footbridgeover Omand's Creeka key link in the active-transportation system that connectsWolseley to River Heights and Assiniboine Park because ofhazardous ice buildup resulting fromalate fall flood.

The bridge was due to remain closed until late spring, but a couple ofnearby residents took matters into their own hands last weekend.

"What the residents did at the Omand's Creek footbridge, though well-intentioned,did not mitigate the public safety risk that existed at this location as it went beyond simply clearing ice off the bridge surface," a cityspokesperson said in an email Monday.

"Opening and closing bridge structures can only be done by professional engineers; the residents who ultimately cleared and reopened the bridge had no way of knowing whether the structure was sound."

The ice on the bridge may have impacted its structural integrity, but the city wasunable to inspect the bridge until the ice went away, the spokesperson said.

The citycited the ice on the pathwaywas two layersthick and unevenand the trail was incredibly steep and unstable;the ice also lefta sharp drop-off leading onto the bridge.

"The risk of taking machinery down these pathways to adequately clear them and lay enough sand to create traction outweighed opening the area to foot and bike traffic through the winter," the spokespersonwrote.

The bridge was deemed safe Monday morning by city engineers, but the surrounding areawas not safe. Crews will attemptto clear some of the ice on the path, they added.