City closes pedestrian bridge over Rideau River for winter use

The City of Ottawa has closed a recently opened pedestrian pathway spanning the Rideau River for the winter season.

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The bridge, which connects Carleton University to Vincent Massy Park, officially opened to the public in June after lengthy delays.

The city closed the bridge on Friday for the winter because it was "no longer safe for public use." The city says the National Capital Commission (NCC) pathways on the south end of the bridge are not winter maintained or groomed for winter recreational activities and the city does not plan to maintain the bridge for winter.

"With the snow accumulation this past weekend and colder temperatures expected to continue, Public Works closed the bridge," said the city's director of roads and parking services Quentin Levesque.

"Public safety is our top priority, and this decision was made to ensure everyone's safety during winter conditions. We are working with all parties, including the NCC and the City of Ottawa's Rail Construction Program, to explore the feasibility of maintaining the bridge during the winter."

The massive one-piece steel structure was originally installed in July 2022 and expected an opening four months later. The bridge and its installation was part of the Line 2 north-south LRT proposal, which kept the footbridge closed until the train got the green light to open.

Coun. Riley Brockington says the bridge should be open for pedestrians through the winter.

"Bridges exist to connect people, that needs to happen 12 months of the year, including the winter," Brockington said Monday night.

"We’re very well versed living in Ottawa about winter conditions, so let’s build bridges that can be maintained and let's keep those bridges open going forward."

Brockington says if there is a liability concern or a financial concern about keeping the bridge open, it should be addressed by the city.

"I’m not a fan of closing connections. This was built recognizing there was a gap in the pathway network; that gap exists 12 months a year," Brockington told CTV News Ottawa. "That’s why this bridge should be open 12 months a year."

Some Carleton students expressed their frustration with the closure.

"It's definitely a bit of a bummer because it was really fun to go on the other side," said student Parnia Panahi.

Serena Smith says she goes out with her dog often during the winter months.

"It does make me a little sad because she does like to go over and check out the other side and whatnot," Smith said about her dog. 

"It would be very nice to be able to use the bridge."

The decision to close the path follows the controversial decision to close the Chief William Commanda Bridge over the Ottawa River for the season last week. Residents and some city councillors have expressed frustration that the bridge was not designed for cycling or pedestrian use in the winter.

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Shaun Vardon and Dave Charbonneau