Reopening Portage and Main ‘a success,’ Winnipeg mayor says 1 year later

The hotly debated reopening of downtown Winnipeg’s Portage Avenue and Main Street intersection has not significantly affected traffic safety in the past year, according to officials.

The sidewalks of the iconic intersection were blocked by concrete barricades beginning in February 1979. Portage and Main remained closed to pedestrians from then until last June, despite a number of attempts to reopen it, including a 2018 plebiscite.

Since its reopening on June 27 of last year, Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) said there have been no pedestrian-involved collisions at the intersection.

In terms of vehicle collisions at Portage and Main, 168 reports were received by MPI so far this year — an increase of slightly more than seven per cent compared to the five-year average of 156, according to the insurance agency’s data.

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

Before the intersection reopened in 2025, city staffers readied the area by removing the barriers and reconfiguring the roadway to ensure pedestrians and drivers are safe.

Gillingham said a reopened Portage and Main is part of a core that is central to “a healthier, stronger city.” He pointed to recent downtown developments, including the announcement of a grocery store coming to the former Portage Place mall, as well as housing and business developments.

City Coun. Jeff Browaty has represented the suburban ward of North Kildonan since 2006. He remained opposed to pedestrians accessing the intersection until its reopening last year.

“The impacts of traffic were not as bad as I expected,” Browaty told 680 CJOB, adding part of the credit for the smooth ride should go to the removal of a turning lane for drivers.

Looking at the area surrounding the intersection, he said some organizations have moved in since last June. Others, Browaty said, may see private investments following the reintroduction of foot traffic.

To him, the next step at Portage and Main is to make it a “cool walkable space” for summer.

The councillor pointed to other cities’ iconic downtown walking zones — such as Calgary’s Stephen Avenue Walk, and Ottawa’s pedestrian promenade, Spark Street.

“In terms of the actual intersection itself, it’s still going to be a major traffic-moving piece,” Browaty said.

Portage and Main’s underground pathway, and the businesses it houses, remain open. Its future remains undecided for now, the city of Winnipeg said in an emailed statement.

A cost-benefit analysis considering the viability of the concourse at Portage and Main will be delivered to council in January of 2027.

Winnipeg’s mayor said nothing in the underground is expected to close at this point.