Workers with Merit Iron put an 80-foot steel truss into place connecting the Convention Centre skywalk over the Japanese Gardens west of the Delta Winnipeg hotel at St. Mary Avenue and Carlton Street on November 22, 2009. (CHRISD.CA)
The final link of the downtown walkway system to make it possible for people to get from Portage and Main to the Winnipeg Convention Centre is now open to foot traffic.
The new 625-foot weather-protected walkway connects to the existing downtown walkway system and provides pedestrians with an indoor passage between the Convention Centre, the MTS Centre, Portage Place, and the Millennium Library through to Portage Avenue and Main Street.
Pedestrians on St. Mary Avenue can access the skywalk from an exterior stairway and elevator from the public sidewalk.
There are 48 subtle colour changes as pedestrians make their way along the route. The exterior features a sparkling multi-color lighting system, which at night becomes a vibrant, focal point in the downtown.
An official ceremony to open the new expansion was held Monday morning at Cityplace mall.
Construction began in the spring of 2009 and the total project’s price tag was just over $6 million.
