Residents in Selkirk, Manitoba, will soon get a look at the final plans to fix the historic lift bridge that connects the city to the Rural Municipality of St. Clements. A public meeting is scheduled for January 28, 2026, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., during which the province will present final details of the preferred rehabilitation plan.
Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI) will present the details of the project, which aims to keep the bridge safe for the roughly 7,290 vehicles that cross it every day. The City of Selkirk hosted an earlier Phase 2 public information session on May 21, 2025 as part of the multi-year study; the January 2026 meeting follows that work and will present the finalized construction timeline and mitigation measures. Provincial officials have chosen to move forward with a rehabilitation (large-scale repair) rather than building a brand-new bridge.
The bridge was originally built between 1935 and 1937 as a federal work relief project during the Great Depression. The Selkirk Museum notes that it replaced a ferry service and was once a toll bridge. It is one of the few remaining vertical-lift truss bridges in Manitoba, a design that was historically used to allow larger vessels to pass on the Red River.
The last major overhaul of the bridge took place in 1992, when a roughly $2.8 million project replaced the road deck and upgraded mechanical systems. Residents and local users have reported increasing rust and wear in recent years, prompting concerns about long-term reliability. A Phase 2 “What We Heard” report from the planning process noted that many residents are worried about long traffic detours if the bridge were to close for extended periods.
At the upcoming meeting, people can ask how construction will affect daily commutes and how long the work is expected to take. The Manitoba Historical Society recognizes the Selkirk Lift Bridge as an important piece of local heritage, and MTI’s rehabilitation plan is expected to extend the bridge’s service life by roughly 30 years.
