Long-awaited Rideau River pedestrian and cycling bridge opening Saturday

A footbridge crossing the Rideau River near the campus of Carleton University on March 19, 2024. (Peter Szperling/CTV News Ottawa

A long-awaited pedestrian and cycling bridge over the Rideau River that connects Carleton University to Vincent Massey Park will open this weekend.

River Ward Coun. Riley Brockington said on X, formerly Twitter, that an official opening will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday on the Vincent Massey Park side.

"Coun. Shawn Menard and I are pleased to invite you to celebrate the opening of the new Rideau River Pedestrian and Cycling Bridge, connecting Carleton University to Vincent Massey Park," Brockington said.

Word of the bridge's opening was first brought before a joint meeting of the Transit Commission and Light Rail Subcommittee in late May. The bridge was mostly complete and sat unused for months because officials said it was tied to Stage 2 LRT construction. Staff said at the meeting that the bridge needed a few finishing touches to handrails and landscaping around the bridge. Bollards have also been installed.

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During the spring, contractors removed fencing from around the bridge, causing some residents to believe it was open. Several people walked and cycled across it and posted about the bridge on social media before the fences went back up, as the city said it was not yet ready.

The Trillium Line LRT is still not open to the public. City staff told the May 31 joint meeting that the earliest possible opening date for the north-south line is in mid-August.