Completion of the Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge will be delayed after the city declared Friday the main contractor is in default.
As CTV Ottawa first reported Tuesday, the bridge's original contractor Concreate USL is in receivership with $35 million worth of debt.
Grant Thornton is now taking over all of Concreate USL's projects, but city officials say they're worried this bridge won't be a priority.
The City of Ottawa has applied in court using their $23 million "performance bond" to find a new contractor for the bridge, which would stop construction.
"We're turning to the protections and safeguards that we have in the contract, which means that the bond company will need to find a contractor to pay the bills and to get the job done," said area councillor Steve Desroches. "I think that takes away a lot of the uncertainty that we have right now."
Construction would stop because no workers would be getting paid once the search for a new contractor officially begins, taking the project away from Grant Thornton.
In fact, sources tell CTV Ottawa employees working on the bridge walked off the job today over uncertainty with their paycheques.
This likely pushes the completion date for the project past its target date, but the city is assuring residents it will get finished.
"It is important to recognize that situations such as this create schedule setbacks and will impact construction," it said in a news release.
"However, the action taken by the City today is geared to limit any project delays and will allow the bonding company to assume responsibility for the delivery of the project regardless of what happens with the contractor."
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Katie Griffin
