Cyclists and pedestrians hail new footbridge before City says it wasn't meant to be open
A footbridge crossing the Rideau River near the campus of Carleton University on March 19, 2024. (Peter Szperling/CTV News Ottawa
The City of Ottawa says a footbridge connecting Carleton University and Vincent Massey Park is not open yet, after people were seen crossing the bridge on Tuesday.
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The much-anticipated bridge has been sitting under construction for nearly two years, but many on social media were surprised to see the barricades had been removed and pedestrians crossing the bridge, despite no official announcement from the city that it had opened.
The city confirmed to CTV News late in the afternoon that despite the brief excitement, the bridge is not open yet.
"As the bridge is not complete, our contractor will be reinstating the barricades," read a statement attributed to City of Ottawa public information officer Katrina Camposarcone-Stubbs.
"We appreciate the community’s patience and share their excitement for this new connectivity feature and would like to remind the public that it is unsafe to cross the bridge at this time."
The city has not specified when the bridge might open. It's unclear why the barricades were removed.
The massive one-piece steel structure was originally installed in July 2022, and expected an opening four months later.
The bridge and its installation is part of the Line 2 north-south LRT proposal, keeping the footbridge closed until the train gets the green light to open.
"So as long as Line 2 is postponed, this bridge, per contract, does not have to open," city councillor Riley Brockington told CTV News earlier this month.
"There's so little work left, basically electrical connections and some of the top bridge work weatherproofing."
OC Transpo officials have been adamant that Line 2 LRT will open sometime this spring, however timelines provided by the transit agency show that likely won't happen before early to late summer.
With files from CTV News Ottawa's Tyler Fleming
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