Advocates want to preserve Alexandra Bridge and repurpose it for active transportation
Plans are in the works to tear down the Alexandra Bridge and rebuild it in the next decade; however, some groups are calling on the federal government to consider alternate options for the aging infrastructure.
The government says a new bridge will come with one lane allocated to active transportation and two lanes dedicated to vehicle traffic, with the option to convert those lanes to public transit in the future.
Claude Royer with the Alexandra Bridge Coalition says, "We think that the government is going on the wrong path making it a highway bridge. They're hiring highway engineers to design it, as opposed to (keeping) the iconic bridge that could put the priority on public transportation, and pedestrian and bike traffic."
The interprovincial bridge connects Sussex Drive in Ottawa to Des Allumettières Boulevard in Gatineau. The federal government is planning to demolish the more than 120-year-old structure in 2028 and build a new one by 2032. The Alexandra Bridge Coalition and Heritage Ottawa believe the government should preserve it for its national heritage significance, and repurpose it with environmentally friendly transportation infrastructure.
"Replacing it would cost an immense carbon print, and would not be ecological," says Royer. "The greenest bridge is the one we have, and we can also repurpose it for collective transportation instead of cars. The best green future for the bridge is to have green transportation, have public transportation, have bicycles, (and) have pedestrians to be the priority on the old bridge."
Before the bridge closed last fall, the government said it carried about 40 per cent of all pedestrian traffic between Gatineau and Ottawa. In comparison, the Alexandra Bridge Coalition says only 9 per cent of vehicle traffic travelling between the two provinces used the bridge.
The bridge comes with a proposed $800-million price tag. Royer says, "If you want to build a signature bridge, this will cost twice the amount of money and certainly cannot be justified economically."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW 'She was waiting for you': The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother in England
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Macklem tries to stay out of the fray as MPs do their best to use him to score points
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem navigates a political minefield every time he testifies before the House of Commons finance committee.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Israeli army tells Palestinians to evacuate parts of Gaza's Rafah ahead of an expected assault
The Israeli army on Monday ordered tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza's southern city of Rafah to start evacuating from the area, signalling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.