Winnipeg mayor says reopening of Portage and Main a success

Since it reopened one year ago, there have been no crashes involving cyclists or pedestrians at the Portage and Main intersection.

Winnipeg’s mayor is celebrating the reopening of the city’s iconic intersection to foot traffic as the one-year anniversary approaches.

“Opening Portage and Main to pedestrians has been a success,” Mayor Scott Gillingham said at a news conference on Thursday. “It looks better at that intersection. It’s great to see pedestrians crossing on a regular basis.”

Pedestrians were able to start crossing Portage and Main on June 27, 2025, 46 years after it had initially closed to them in 1979 to open the Winnipeg Underground concourse.

A plebiscite asking Winnipeggers if they wanted to reopen the intersection took place in 2018 and was defeated.

The decision to reopen Portage and Main came in 2024, after a city report found that needed repairs to the concourse would cost more than $73 million and lead to years of traffic delays.

Gillingham said reopening Portage and Main is helping bring vibrancy to the city’s core.

“The reopening of Portage and Main was one important piece of all the exciting development happening in Winnipeg’s downtown right now,” he said.

No pedestrian or cyclist crashes since reopening

Numbers from Manitoba Public insurance have shown the new intersection has remained safe for pedestrians.

Since it reopened in 2025, there has not been a reported crash involving a pedestrian or cyclist at the intersection.

There have been only two collisions involving pedestrians or cyclists in the past five years, with one taking place in 2023 and the other in 2024.

-With files from CTV’s Devon McKendrick and Jeff Keele.