Hundreds of people gathered to voice their opinions about where to build two new bridges connecting Ottawa and Gatineau, Thursday night.
There are 10 possible locations being considered and many residents living near those sites don't want a new bridge in their neighbourhood.
Susan Kelly and Oliver Gomes attended the meeting to discuss the future bridge sites.
The couple live on a Manor Park cul-de-sac and say they hope it remains a cul-de-sac.
"We moved to a dead-end street because we like the quiet neighbourhood. I'm also worried about the air pollution," Susan Kelly told CTV News.
Bob Monette is one of three Ottawa councillors promoting the Kettle Island site near the couple's home.
He says residents have submitted a petition with 2,500 signatures to the federal government to help make their case.
"The residents have spoken loud and clear and I hope that NCC and government take that into account," Monette said.
Despite local concerns, the consultant leading the bridge study says all locations are still considered options.
"The petition will not be used to influence the decision-makers. We're going to base our rankings of the quarters based on the technical information," said Steve Taylor.
Ottawa Councillor Michel Bellemare is suggesting that a new bridge should be built in the east, along with a new road that would get heavy trucks out of the downtown core.
"We should do like what other major cities around the world do and direct our heavy trucks, our inter-provincial long haul trucks to the periphery," he said.
Consultants are asking for public input on the new bridges until mid-March. Two sites for a new bridge in both the east and west ends of the cities are expected to be proposed later this year.
With a report from CTV's Chris Day
