Cyclists frustrated by ongoing closure of Chief William Commanda Bridge

Cyclists in Ottawa continue to express frustration that the Chief William Commanda Bridge remains closed.

The bicycle and pedestrian path over the Ottawa River was closed for the winter last November. The City of Ottawa said the refurbished railway bridge was not designed for winter use.

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But with hardly any snow and above-normal temperatures through most of March, some people have been asking the city to reopen the bridge. The crossing proved incredibly popular when it first opened last summer after a multi-million dollar facelift.

"It's a beautiful, beautiful bridge. You see, when it's open, people love coming here. Very scenic. It connects Ottawa and Gatineau along a perfect cycling corridor that's maintained year-round on the Ottawa side. People are very frustrated," said cyclist Elliott Skierszkan on Monday.

The City of Ottawa insists, however, that it's still not safe enough to open the bridge for the spring.

"The Chief William Commanda Bridge remains closed for safety reasons. As this crossing is not winter maintained, the temperature fluctuations, which reach below freezing overnight, lead to frost and ice buildup on the wood bridge deck causing it to be unsafe to use," said a statement attributed to Roads and Parking Services Director Quentin Levesque.

The City's website says typical plowing, salting and grit could damage the bridge's steel structure and timber decking. So far this month, only 2.6 centimetres of snow has fallen. The last time there was more than a trace amount of snow on the ground officially recorded in Ottawa was March 11, when there was 1 centimetre on the ground. On Monday, there was a trace amount following a 1 cm snowfall.

There are barriers at the entrance to the bridge and fencing up around the path leading up to it, but some people have torn fences down to use the bridge despite this.

"We urge residents to not remove the barriers and wait to use the bridge until it has been deemed safe to do so," said Levesque.

The City of Ottawa does not have a projected opening date for the bridge. Below-zero temperatures are expected to continue through the week, with lows getting as cold as -16 C. The forecast also includes chances of snow. The City does not have a specific temperature threshold for declaring the risk of ice buildup is low enough that the bridge can be opened. Instead, staff are basing the decision on upcoming weather forecasts.

"Staff continue to closely monitor weather conditions but are unable to provide an estimated opening date at this time, as current weather patterns are not conducive to reopening the bridge safely," Levesque said.

The City is also trying to avoid a situtation where the bridge is opened only to have to be closed again because of a snowfall or flash freeze.

Skierszkan told CTV News he doesn't believe the alternative is any safer.

"What it does is force me to cross on a super busy bridge that doesn't have any protected lanes for cycling, where I'm sharing with traffic on snow- and ice-covered roads, so you tell me what's more safe or less safe," Skierszkan said.

Levesque told CTV News the fences blocking the bridge are included in the public works budget.

"The work done to repair the barriers that have been placed at the entrance of the bridge has been conducted within departmental resources of the Public Works Department. As such, there are no additional costs to the City," he said.

--With files from CTV News Ottawa's Shaun Vardon.